The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has begun stakeholder consultations with farmer groups and cocoa marketers ahead of the 2026/27 cocoa season. This forms part of activities by the regulator to firm up key policy and operational decisions.
The engagements, led by Deputy Chief Executives, Dr James Kofi Kutsuati and Dr Francis Baah, brought together leaders of farmer groups and executives of the Chamber of Cocoa Marketers to discuss critical issues shaping the upcoming season.
Deliberations centred on producer pricing and the enforcement of the policy requiring that farmers receive not less than 70% of the achieved gross Free-On-Board (FOB) price. The representatives also examined domestic funding constraints, financial liquidity within the sector, and strategies to deepen value addition.
A key focus was Ghana’s ambition to process at least 50% of its cocoa output locally, a target seen as crucial to retaining more value within the economy and reducing exposure to volatile global commodity markets.
Leadership of COCOBOD present at the engagements said they form part of broader efforts to align stakeholders across the cocoa value chain, ensure a smooth opening of the new season, and respond to emerging challenges facing production and marketing.
The consultations will lead to final decisions on pricing and policy direction as the country gets ready for the next cocoa season, with industry players closely watching for signals on farmer remuneration and sector financing.
