Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, announced that Cabinet has agreed on urgent interventions to fast-track payments to cocoa farmers nationwide.

He indicated that the approval followed prolonged Cabinet meeting on Tuesday February to tackle the sector’s liquidity challenges.

Speaking to the press after the emergency Cabinet session, Kwakye Ofosu revealed that the reforms are designed to achieve substantial growth in domestic cocoa processing.

"We have just concluded a lengthy cabinet meeting, which was an emergency session that discussed the cocoa sector and matters arising there. And at the end of the emergency session, decisive measures have been agreed upon regarding expedited payments of cocoa farmers, regarding the implementation of the most drastic reforms in the cocoa sector," the Minister stated.

The urgent intervention follows months of delayed payments to farmers who supplied cocoa beans since November 2025, with COCOBOD reportedly owing Licensed Buying Companies more than GH¢10 billion.

Mr. Kwakye Ofosu indicated that COCOBOD will undergo broad restructuring aimed at improving efficiency, strengthening transparency, and ensuring better sector management.

The Minister for Finance is scheduled to address the nation at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, where he is expected to present the detailed implementation strategy and financial plan for the reforms.

The worsening crisis at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) prompted President John Dramani Mahama to convene an emergency Cabinet meeting today, Wednesday, February 11, to address the challenges facing the sector.

The Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, disclosed this development in a Facebook post on Tuesday, February 10.

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) faces several challenges, with the Ghanaian cocoa fraternity and cocoa farmers repeatedly calling on the government to settle months of unpaid arrears.

According to the Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the GH¢32 billion in arrears the sector is experiencing is the result of indiscriminate contract awards by the previous administration.

These contracts were awarded during the tenure of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) without proper checks or budget allocations to fund them. He disclosed that despite these challenges, COCOBOD’s financial pressures have not eased, as its weakened balance sheet prevents it from meeting its obligations.

“When COCOBOD awards a contract, they have to pay the contractors, not the Finance Ministry. The previous government awarded contracts anyhow, without any sources to pay for these contracts. The COCOBOD CEO inherited GH¢32 billion worth of arrears. He cannot pay it in one year because he doesn’t have the resources. COCOBOD cannot go out and borrow because of its balance sheet, so how is it supposed to pay that?,” he added.

In May 2025, COCOBOD CEO Dr. Randy Abbey expressed deep concern over the limited results achieved from a major cocoa rehabilitation initiative, despite the significant financial investment it received.

He revealed that although $263 million was borrowed to restore 156,000 hectares of cocoa farms damaged by disease, only 40,000 hectares had been rehabilitated when he took over leadership.

“If we had successfully done this 156,000 hectares, it would have contributed up to 200,000 tonnes to our production; we took all this money, and all we have to show is just 40,000 hectares completed,” he said, speaking to farmers in Nkawie in the Ashanti Region.

The rehabilitation program was introduced after nearly 40 percent of cocoa farms were found to be infected, prompting urgent intervention by COCOBOD’s previous administration—a move Dr. Abbey said was well-intentioned.

However, he added that the project later received an additional GHS700 million, and he questioned how the funds were applied, given the modest progress achieved. He disclosed that the matter is now under scrutiny by the relevant investigative institutions.

“There are agencies responsible for the investigation of these things. I am saddened by what has happened because it was the golden opportunity to turn things around in the sector,” he noted.

To reverse the trend and bolster production, Dr. Abbey said COCOBOD is currently focused on rehabilitating 21,000 hectares of abandoned cocoa farms.

He affirmed his personal commitment to seeing it through, stating, “We have left some in the bush, and that is what I am trying to go and work on them and be able to hand them over so we can add them to the productive stock of farms we have.”He also mentioned that the new management inherited road contracts worth GHS21 billion and debt of GHS4.4 billion, posing additional challenges to the sector’s recovery.

Meanwhile, cocoa farmers will earn an extra GH₵400 per 64kg bag following a new price announced by the government for the 2025/2026 crop season.

The new price, which is now GH₵3,625 per bag, equivalent to GH₵58,000 per tonne, represents a 12.27 per cent increase over the GH₵3,228.75 per bag price announced in August.

This was revealed by the Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, while speaking at an emergency meeting of the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC) on cocoa in Accra on Thursday, October 2.

The upward adjustment is believed to be an effort to match local prices with gains in the global cocoa market. Meanwhile, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has expressed its commitment to ensuring that cocoa farmers receive a meaningful and fair boost in their income, despite the hike in the dollar.

Recently, the government disclosed its intention to reintroduce free fertilisers, aimed at supporting farmers to increase production.Finance Minister, Dr. Ato Forson, noted, “In preparation for the new season, COCOBOD has made available jute sacks and related logistics for the smooth take-off of the 2025/2026 crop Season.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, and to the cocoa farmer, I am pleased to announce that President John Mahama’s administration has reintroduced the free cocoa fertiliser programme as an additional support to the Ghanaian cocoa farmer, beginning the 2025/2026 crop year.”

Dr. Forson added that every single farmer will benefit from this initiative.“Beginning this crop year, President Mahama’s administration will supply free cocoa fertilisers (both liquid and granular), free insecticides, free spraying machines, free fungicides, and free flower inducers to farmers,” he added.

Farmers were therefore cautioned against smuggling.“Government strongly advises cocoa farmers to apply these inputs solely for the purpose of improving cocoa yield and their income. Please do not smuggle them,” he said.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, Her Excellency Imane Ouaadil, on July 28, handed over two thousand (2,000) tons of fertilizer, equivalent to 40,000 bags of fertilizer, to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the fertilizer was donated to the West African country by the Kingdom of Morocco during the official visit of Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa to Morocco last month as part of the two countries’ commitment to sustainable agriculture to enhance food security.

Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Setor Dumelo, received the donated fertilizers on behalf of the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku. He expressed gratitude to the Moroccan government for the donation. He assured that farmers will receive the fertilizers to aid crop production.

“Yesterday, 40,000 bags of fertilizer were donated to Ghana by the Kingdom of Morocco through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On behalf of my boss, Hon Eric Opoku, I want to say a big thank you to Hon Ablakwa and Her Excellency Ouaadil for this kind gesture. We at the Ministry of Agriculture will ensure the fertilizers get straight to the deserving farmers as soon as possible,” he wrote in a post on the X platform on July 29.

Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have bemoaned the absence of a single chemical fertiliser plant in the country. The Institute for Fiscal Studies noted that the absence of such a plant is having an adverse impact on crop production and the contribution of the agricultural sector to the country’s economy, i.e., the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP declined from 26.9% in 2010 to 22.7% in 2023.