The Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) has commenced 24-hour operations at its cocoa takeover and export facilities as part of efforts to reduce delays, improve turnaround times and make Ghana’s cocoa export chain more competitive.

The new operating model is built around three commitments: Offload 24, Load 24 and Export 24.

Speaking at the launch in Tema, CMC Managing Director Wisdom Dogbey said the Offload 24 component would allow cocoa from licensed buying companies to be received around the clock, while Load 24 would facilitate the continuous supply of cocoa to local processing factories.

Under Export 24, inspection, sealing, documentation and other preparations for shipment would also continue beyond the traditional working day.

Mr Dogbey said while ports, customs operations, shipping lines and hauliers already operate beyond conventional working hours, the closure of CMC warehouses and terminals had created a bottleneck in the export chain.

“By operating around the clock, we can reduce congestion, improve turnaround times, make better use of our infrastructure and accelerate export through multiple shifts,” he said.

CMC has identified lighting, surveillance, health, transport, drainage and security improvements required to support night operations, with management stressing that no shift would begin without the necessary safety conditions.

The initiative is also expected to create jobs in cocoa-producing and port communities.

Reducing vessel waiting times

Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Randy Abbey, said the 24-hour model would help reduce vessel waiting times and demurrage, ease congestion and increase handling capacity by allowing facilities to operate across three shifts instead of one.

“Quicker movement of cocoa from licensed buying companies to warehouses and vessels would reduce exposure to humidity and handling risks, while faster takeover would lead to quicker issuance of cocoa takeover receipts and ultimately prompt payment to LBCs who pay our farmers,” he said.

Dr Abbey said the expanded operations would create jobs for dock workers, quality control officers, weighbridge operators, security personnel and logistics workers.

He said the rollout would begin at high-volume facilities in Tema and Takoradi, with efficiency gains measured against the cost of night operations.

He also stressed the need for the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, shipping lines and other COCOBOD units to operate on the same schedule to prevent bottlenecks from simply shifting to other parts of the export chain.

‘Why close at 5 pm?’

COCOBOD Board Chairman Dr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo provided a practical illustration of the delays the initiative seeks to address.

Recounting a recent visit to Takoradi, he said he saw trucks waiting to discharge significant volumes of cocoa beans that were ready for shipment.

“When I asked, ‘When do you close?’ And they said, ' By 5 o'clock, we have closed,” he recalled.

Dr Ofosu-Ampofo questioned the decision to close operations at 5 pm, arguing that COCOBOD’s trading room should also operate 24/7 to serve buyers in markets such as Japan, China, Dubai and the United States.

Presidential Advisor for the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, Augustus Tanoh, said a feasibility study conducted by a committee of experts had found the new operating model to be “operationally and commercially sound”.

He linked the initiative to broader reforms in the cocoa sector, including the new COCOBOD law passed by Parliament on July 30, 2026, which, according to him, guarantees farmers no less than 70% of the gross free-on-board value of cocoa.

He also said at least half of Ghana’s cocoa crop would be processed locally before export from the 2026/27 season, as the government seeks to retain more value from cocoa within the country.

Tema East MP Isaac Ashai Odamtten said discipline would be critical to sustaining the gains expected from the initiative.

He urged staff to eschew practices that could undermine the programme, noting that expanded operations would also create more employment opportunities in Tema.

CMC said the initiative would improve speed and productivity without compromising safety or quality, helping Ghana to remain competitive in the global cocoa market.

Stakeholders across the cocoa value chain attended the launch, marking the start of a new phase in Ghana’s cocoa export operations.