Government has announced an additional 400 cedis on every 64kg bag of cocoa for farmers for the 2025/2026 crop season.

At the inception of the season, farmers were earning 3,225 cedis per 64kg bag of cocoa.

The addition of 400 cedis means that Ghanaian farmers will now earn 3,625 cedis per every 64kg bag of cocoa.

Speaking at an emergency press conference in Accra,  Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson said the review will help improve the financial wellbeing of farmers.

He explained that changes in the government forecast informed the Producer Price Review Committee to relook its price for farmers.

"This means that per every bag purchased the cocoa farmer is getting 400 cedis additional. Simply put, to the ordinary cocoa farmer, for every bag the cocoa farmer sell they will get an additional 400 cedis", he said.

He assured that government will continue to monitor the commodity on the world market and take appropriate decision that will lead to the benefit of cocoa farmers.

2025/26 cocoa season good start

According to Bloomberg, Ghana’s cocoa deliveries to warehouses in August more than quadrupled from the same period last year as an accelerated start to the season provided early cash to farmers, adding to the uptick in supply that’s cooling global prices.

Ghana this year decided to start its cocoa season in August, two months ahead of the norm, to appease farmers who fetch a government-set price for their crop. Arrivals of the chocolate-making ingredient in the four weeks ending Sept. 4, reached 50,440 metric tons, compared to about 11,000 tons delivered in the same period in 2024, according to people familiar with the matter.

The world’s No. 2 producer raised the amount it pays farmers for their cocoa beans by 4.2% to 3,228.75 cedis ($261) per 64-kilogram bag in the current 2025-26 season. That’s expected to lower the incentive to smuggle beans to nearby nations where prices are higher. 

The market is watching supplies from West African growers closely after a series of back-to-back poor harvests fueled a huge global shortage that sent New York futures soaring to a record last year. While a small surplus is expected in the current 2024-25 season, the market remains tight and prices are well above historical levels.

Most of the beans delivered to warehouses are destined for export, though some are sold to local processors. Ghana has forecast a cocoa crop of 650,000 tons in the 2025-26 season, up from the 600,000 tons in the previous harvest.