The Ghanaian government has announced an increase in the producer price of cocoa at the farm gate from GH¢41,392 per tonne to GH¢42,400 per tonne for the 2026/2027 crop season. This represents a GH¢1,008 increase over the previous price. The new price translates to GH¢2,650 for a 64-kilogramme bag of cocoa. The Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Randy Abbey, made the announcement in Accra, declaring the 2026/2027 cocoa crop season open.
The new producer price was set under the newly enacted Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 2026 (Act 1182), which guarantees cocoa farmers a minimum of 70 per cent of the realised gross free-on-board (FOB) price. The Act forms part of reforms aimed at strengthening the financial and institutional sustainability of the cocoa sector while improving returns to farmers. The government consulted with COCOBOD, the Ministry of Finance, cocoa farmers, and stakeholders represented by the Chamber of Cocoa Marketers before setting the new price.
Existing rates and fees for other participants in the cocoa supply chain, including buyers' margins, hauliers’ rates, warehousing and internal marketing costs, as well as charges for grading, sealing and disinfestation, have been maintained. The new law also introduced a new financing framework to support increased domestic value addition and prohibited COCOBOD from engaging in quasi-fiscal activities. This change aims to improve the sector's financial and institutional sustainability.
Beyond the producer price, COCOBOD will continue with productivity enhancement programmes intended to reduce the cost of production and improve yields. These programmes include the distribution of free fertilisers and hybrid cocoa seedlings, as well as the Cocoa Diseases and Pests Control Programme. The interventions are expected to improve farm productivity and, in turn, increase farmer incomes.
The new price is also expected to support efforts to curb cocoa smuggling, which has remained a concern for the industry. Randy Abbey called on farmers, traditional authorities, licensed buying companies, security agencies, and cocoa-growing communities to support measures to protect cocoa produced in the country. The COCOBOD CE emphasised the importance of collaboration in protecting the country's cocoa.
COCOBOD has fully deployed the Ghana Cocoa Traceability System across all cocoa-growing areas. The system will enable the country to meet the requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is expected to take effect from December 30 this year. The traceability system aims to demonstrate that Ghanaian cocoa supplied to the European Union market is traceable, deforestation-free, free from child labour, and legally produced.
The producer price has experienced significant changes over the past few seasons. At the opening of the 2023/24 cocoa season, the producer price was GH¢20,928 per tonne, equivalent to GH¢1,308 per 64-kilogramme bag. The price has undergone several adjustments, with the most recent being a reduction to GH¢41,392 per tonne, or GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag, in February 2026, due to a sharp decline in the international cocoa price.
Key points
- The Ghanaian government has increased the producer price of cocoa to GH¢42,400 per tonne for the 2026/2027 crop season.
- The new price guarantees cocoa farmers a minimum of 70 per cent of the realised gross free-on-board (FOB) price.
- COCOBOD has deployed the Ghana Cocoa Traceability System to meet European Union Deforestation Regulation requirements.
