Ghana has officially opened the 2026/2027 cocoa season with the government announcing a new producer price of GH¢42,400 per tonne, translating into GH¢2,650 for a 64-kilogramme bag of cocoa.
The new producer price represents an increase of GH¢1,008 per tonne, up from the previous season’s price of GH¢41,392.
The new price, equivalent to GH¢2,650 per 64kg bag, represents 71.18 per cent of the realised gross Free-on-Board (FOB) price.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Ransford Abbey, announced the new producer price in Accra on Friday, September 25, 2026, as he officially declared the 2026/2027 cocoa season open.
According to Mr Abbey, the new producer price was determined following consultations among COCOBOD, the Ministry of Finance, cocoa farmers and key stakeholders in the cocoa value chain.
These stakeholders included representatives of the Chamber of Cocoa Marketers, licensed buying companies, hauliers and cocoa processors.
New cocoa law
The announcement comes against the backdrop of the newly enacted Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 2026, which guarantees cocoa farmers a minimum of 70 per cent of the realised gross FOB price.
The legislation forms part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening the financial and institutional sustainability of Ghana’s cocoa sector while ensuring improved returns for farmers.
Mr Abbey explained that the new Act had also introduced a revised financing framework designed to support increased domestic value addition.
It further prohibits COCOBOD from engaging in quasi-fiscal activities, marking a significant change in the financing and governance arrangements of the cocoa sector.
The revised producer price therefore comes at a time when Ghana’s cocoa industry is undergoing major structural and financial reforms.
Other cocoa sector rates maintained
COCOBOD said existing rates and fees applicable to other participants in the cocoa supply chain would remain unchanged.
These include buyers’ margins, hauliers’ rates, warehousing and internal marketing costs, as well as charges associated with grading, sealing and disinfestation.
Mr Abbey said the decision would provide some stability across the cocoa value chain while allowing the new producer price to take effect for farmers.
Productivity support for farmers
Beyond the new producer price, COCOBOD is expected to continue implementing productivity enhancement programmes aimed at reducing farmers’ production costs and improving yields.
Key interventions include the distribution of free fertiliser and hybrid cocoa seedlings, as well as the Cocoa Diseases and Pests Control Programme.
According to the COCOBOD CEO, the interventions are intended to improve farm productivity and ultimately increase the incomes of cocoa farmers.
Higher productivity, he noted, would be critical to strengthening the long-term sustainability of Ghana’s cocoa industry.
Measures against cocoa smuggling
The new producer price is also expected to support ongoing efforts to curb cocoa smuggling, which remains a major concern for Ghana’s cocoa sector.
Mr Abbey called on cocoa farmers, traditional authorities, licensed buying companies, security agencies and cocoa-growing communities to support measures aimed at protecting cocoa produced in the country.
He urged stakeholders to work together to prevent the diversion of cocoa through illegal channels and protect the integrity of Ghana’s cocoa value chain.
Cocoa traceability system fully deployed
Mr Abbey further disclosed that COCOBOD had fully deployed the Ghana Cocoa Traceability System across all cocoa-growing areas in the country.
The system is expected to help Ghana comply with the requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is expected to take effect from December 30, 2026.
The traceability framework is designed to provide greater visibility over the origin and movement of cocoa produced in Ghana.
It is also intended to help demonstrate that cocoa exported to the European Union is traceable, deforestation-free, free from child labour and legally produced.
The system will cover cocoa across the value chain, including raw cocoa beans as well as processed and semi-processed cocoa products.
COCOBOD said the implementation of the traceability system would strengthen transparency, accountability and sustainability within Ghana’s cocoa industry while helping the country maintain access to international markets.
The opening of the 2026/2027 cocoa season therefore marks another phase in Ghana’s efforts to improve farmer incomes, increase productivity, strengthen domestic value addition and reform the financing and governance of the cocoa sector.
