Ghana’s Cocoa Production Slumps to Less Than 55% of 2023/24 Harvest Target
Ghana’s cocoa production has plummeted to 429,323 metric tons, less than 55% of its average seasonal output, as harvesting nears completion, according to data from the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod).
This shortfall, combined with similar issues in Ivory Coast, has driven global cocoa prices higher since the beginning of the year.
Traditionally, Ghana’s main cocoa harvest concludes by the end of June, and Cocobod’s figures indicate a significant decline in the world’s second-largest producer’s yield.
Over the past five seasons, Ghana’s annual cocoa output averaged 800,000 tons, peaking at over 1 million tons in 2020/21. However, production has steadily declined, with full-season outputs of 683,269 tons in 2021/22 and 656,140 tons last season.
Ghana and Ivory Coast, which together account for around 60% of global cocoa supply, have been severely impacted by adverse weather conditions and tree diseases.
In Ghana, additional challenges such as informal mining (galamsey) and smuggling have further exacerbated the situation. Cocobod’s data does not account for production trafficked out of the country illegally.
The Ashanti and Western South regions, Ghana’s premier cocoa-growing areas, have borne the brunt of this decline. Ashanti’s production dropped to 103,976 tons by the end of June, down from 160,855 tons last season.
Western South’s output fell to 96,810 tons from 152,277 tons over the same period. Swollen shoot disease and galamsey are the primary culprits behind this reduction, according to Nana Kwesi Barning, coordinator of the Ghana Civil Society Cocoa Platform.
Nana Johnson Mensah Kagya, a prominent farmer in Western South, reported that over half of his 80 hectares of cocoa had to be replanted due to the disease. He emphasized that illegal gold mining is luring young men away from cocoa farming, threatening the future of the industry.
The regions bordering Ivory Coast and Togo, including Western North and Volta/Oti, have also seen output shrink due to vulnerability to smuggling. Both Ghana and Ivory Coast sell forward their harvests, and this year’s shortfall has left Ghana unable to meet its contractual obligations with exporters and traders.
Sources indicated last month that Ghana might delay delivery of up to 350,000 tons of beans to the next season, although Cocobod disputes the extent of these roll-overs.
Cocobod’s CEO, Joseph Aidoo, expressed optimism that production would rebound to over 800,000 tons in the next season beginning in October. However, industry analysts and players remain skeptical, citing the ongoing challenges faced by the sector.
