The site of a rice farm plagued by drought in the Volta Region.
The Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB) has revealed that rice production in the Volta Region of Ghana faces bleak consequences this year due to ongoing drought conditions which are disrupting production in some parts of the Region.
According to the body, farmers in the Akatsi North and South districts in the Volta Region have been gravely affected by poor rainfall patterns and are likely to lose their entire output for the 2021/2022 season.
“In Ketu South alone, over 700 hectares of rice have been lost to the drought. “The problem covers several areas including Kpoglu, Avalavi, Klenomadi and Avie in Ketu North, Akatsi in Akatsi South, Tongu Districts, Afadzato South District and Hohoe Municipal areas,” the President said.
This comes as a blow to the sector, which is an attempt to wean the country off rice importation by achieving self-sufficiency in production by 2025.
As if that is not enough, the affected farmers will have to wait till next year before they can earn some income.
Speaking to the reporter, President of GRIB Nana Agyei Ayeh II said some members of the farmers reached out to him to ascertain the situation and find a solution to the looming danger.
The President, together with some of the officials of the John A. Kufuor Foundation paid a working visit to the farms, and on their observation, several hectares of rice under cultivation are lost due to climate change and low levels of rainfall in these communities.
The woes of the farmers are further exacerbated by the huge investments they have already made in land preparation, seeds, and fertilizer.
However, the provisional production figures by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) indicate that about 973, 000 metric tonnes of rice were produced in Ghana in 2020. But, this figure could be hard to match in 2021 if the current situation persists.
Nana Agyei Ayeh II revealed that the existing dam structure which was built to harvest water to irrigate the farmlands is in a dire state of disrepair, leaving farmers at the mercy of the harsh weather conditions.
“We cannot continue with rain-fed agriculture. As you can see, this year, farmers have lost their investments simply because the rains failed them.
We would like to appeal to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to provide dugouts for these areas. These will aid in water conservations for the purposes of irrigation in such times like what we facing now” he added.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku has commissioned the ultra-modern Beacon’s cold storage expansion project at Tema in the Greater Accra Region.
The project not merely physical structure is a strategic investment in Ghana’s food security architecture and concrete expressions of confidence in the future of Ghana’s poultry industry.
According to the Minister, the project aligns directly with Government’s flagship Feed Ghana Programme, a comprehensive framework for transforming Ghana’s agriculture and food systems.
Under this Programme he said livestock development occupies a central place, with poultry identified as the most immediate and high-impact opportunity for import substitution, job creation, and agro-industrial growth.
“For many years, Ghana has depended heavily on imported poultry products, with an annual import bill estimated between US$300 million and US$400 million. This situation is neither economically sustainable nor consistent with our national development aspirations. The time has come to rebuild domestic capacity across the entire poultry value chain — from hatchery to feed production, from farm to processing, and from cold storage to market,” he said.
To rebuild the domestic capacity across the entire poultry value chain, he explained the government launched the Poultry Industry Revitalization sub-programme under the Feed Ghana Programme and this intervention addresses the structural bottlenecks that have impelled the sector. Thus, high feed costs, weak value-chain coordination, limited access to quality day-old chicks, inadequate veterinary support, and critically, insufficient processing and cold chain infrastructure.
He mentioned that there are three model for revitalizing the sector; a Poultry-Farm-to-Table model that supports large-scale commercial farms, small and medium-scale poultry producers to improve productivity and competitiveness and lastly Nkoko Nketenkete Backyard Poultry Programme, to expand household and community-level production, with particular emphasis on women, youth, and vulnerable households.
He expressed that increase production without processing and cold chain capacity is vague, therefore, Beacon’s cold storage expansion project is timely to enhance Ghana’s capacity to preserve quality, reduce post-harvest losses, stabilise supply, and ensure food safety standards.
He commended Beacon Source and Services Ltd. and Bostex Trading GmbH for the vision, commitment, and strategic alignment with the Feed Ghana Programme to advancing a national agenda that seeks for food security, job creation, industrial growth, and economic resilience.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Randy Abbey, has dismissed calls by the Minority caucus for his removal over recent reforms in the cocoa sector, insisting that the challenges facing the industry stem from decisions taken by the previous administration.
The Minority has criticised ongoing reforms, including the reduction in the cocoa producer price, arguing that the measures shortchange farmers and worsen their plight. The caucus has consequently demanded Dr. Abbey’s removal from office.
Responding to the claims on Thursday, February 12, 2026, Dr. Abbey said the current funding model for cocoa purchases was not introduced by his administration but inherited.
“The model that we are using today is not a model that I created. It is a model that we inherited, which was used in the 2024/2025 season,” he stated.
He explained that the long-standing syndicated loan model, which had financed cocoa purchases for 32 years, collapsed during the 2023/2024 season under the previous government.
“For the first time in the history of the loan, the first tranche hit the COCOBOD account on December 22. COCOBOD had defaulted on its loans and, under the DDEP, asked for the deferment of the debt and a haircut, among others. That is how the syndicated loan collapsed, and that is how this funding model came up with the buyers,” he said.
Dr. Abbey maintained that upon assuming office, his team assessed the inherited system and determined it was unsustainable.
“We came in and we realised that this model was not sustainable. We therefore needed a new model, and that is what we were working towards,” he added.
The spokesperson of the Ghana Farmers Association, Nana Aduna II, has criticised recent developments in the cocoa sector, arguing that farmers are unfairly bearing the brunt of policy decisions.
Speaking on JoyNews AM Show, Nana Aduna II questioned why cocoa farmers appear to be the only group affected, especially at a time when many have reportedly gone unpaid for months.
“The question we would like to ask is, why are only farmers taking the hit?” he said. “When you look at the trajectory of our cocoa system, there’s the farmer, the haulage system, licensed buying companies, and COCOBOD. That’s before the beans are even exported. So why is the farmer alone taking the hit?”
He maintained that if cost-cutting measures were necessary, they should have been applied across the value chain — beginning with administrative expenditure, staff salaries and government margins — rather than reducing farmers’ earnings.
“The first step should have been to reduce the salaries of staff and the margins that the government makes by the same amount,” he stated. “If COCOBOD staff were also affected, it would create a fairer system and a level playing field for farmers.”
Nana Aduna II further expressed concern about the weakening of farmer groups over the years, which he said has undermined their capacity for collective bargaining and effective resistance.
“Farmer groups have been made poor and weakened over time. There is very limited collective bargaining. So how do we fight back? What tools do we have? Do we just put our hands behind our backs?” he asked.
He emphasised the importance of understanding the historical trajectory of Ghana’s cocoa industry to fully appreciate the persistent inequities faced by farmers, despite their central role in the sector.
His remarks follow the government’s announcement of a new farmgate cocoa price of GH₵41,392 per tonne for the 2025–2026 season, equivalent to GH₵2,587 per bag.
Over 300 farmers operating under the Weija Irrigation Project at Tuba in the Greater Accra Region have staged protests over what they describe as the unlawful takeover of their farmlands by land guards, following the alleged sale of the land to a private estate developer.
The farmers claim that officials at the Lands Commission unlawfully transferred the Tuba irrigation lands for commercial development, a move that has exposed them to harassment and intimidation by armed land guards.
According to the farmers, the Government of Ghana acquired about 13,000 acres of land in 1974 for the Weija Dam project. In 1983, the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) earmarked approximately 8,000 acres of this land for irrigation farming.
However, they allege that in 2013, over 90 percent of the land was returned to the original landowners through an Executive Instrument, leaving only about six percent for farming activities.
Some farmers told the media that land guards have chased them off their farms with weapons, creating fear and insecurity in the area.
They warned that more than 300 farmers risk losing their livelihoods if the situation is not urgently resolved.
The aggrieved farmers are appealing to President John Dramani Mahama, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to intervene.
The President of the Mankrong Cocoa Cooperative Farmers’ Association,Francis Teinor has urged cocoa farmers to accept the newly announced producer price of GH¢41,392 per tonne, describing the current period as “bad times” for the sector.
Speaking to Eyewitness News on Thursday, February 12, he acknowledged the challenges posed by delayed payments but expressed cautious optimism about the government’s proposed financial policies.
“Looking at the policies that the Finance Minister has brought, one of them is that we wanted to go for bonds and not syndicated loans. When you take bonds, it takes 10 to 20 years, so it means the money will always be in the account for us whenever cocoa is ready,” he said.
He emphasised that farmers are willing to accept the current price but warned that continued delays in future payments could erode trust in the system.
“Farmers are accepting that, but what we do not want to hear next year is that we go and sell cocoa and face the same delays. If that happens again, we are going to lose trust,” he noted.
He also highlighted the importance of government compliance with the Finance Minister’s directives, including adding value to at least 50% of locally produced cocoa before export.
“Currently, we have nothing to complain about because of prevailing world market prices, so we are telling all our farmers that we are in bad times and need to accept the current price and pray that the government will follow the guidelines,” he said.
The government announced the new producer price for cocoa for the remainder of the 2025–2026 crop season in a move aimed at stabilising the sector and supporting farmers. The Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC) approved the new rate, which takes effect from Thursday, February 12, translating to GH¢2,587 per bag.
Ghana’s prolonged production slump and financial strain in its cocoa sector are increasingly raising the prospect that the West African nation could lose its long-held position as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer.
Ghana, historically the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, faces declining production and concerns about maintaining its position.
Key issues include COCOBOD’s financial challenges and aging plantations, exacerbated by climate change and diseases.
Global competition grows as Ecuador, Indonesia, and Nigeria expand cocoa production with improved yields and strategic initiatives.
Efforts to address these challenges include governmental reforms and international agreements aiming to stabilize and sustain cocoa farming.
This week, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama convened an emergency Cabinet meeting to tackle growing challenges in the cocoa sector, including delayed payments to farmers, liquidity issues at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), and sharply declining harvests.
For decades, Ghana has ranked just behind Côte d’Ivoire, Africa’s top producer, and has held the position of the world’s second-largest cocoa supplier.
The crop supports more than 800,000 farming households and remains a vital source of foreign exchange for the country.
Falling production deepens crisis
Output has dropped sharply in recent seasons. In June 2025, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), the government agency responsible for regulating the country’s cocoa sector and supporting farmers, signalled that Ghana would likely miss its production target for the 2024/2025 season.
After lowering its forecast from 650,000 tonnes to 617,500 tonnes in December 2024, the regulator said harvests would likely not exceed 600,000 tonnes.
“I don’t think that much will change, looking at the time we have to end the crop season,” COCOBOD Managing Director Randy Abbey said on June 10, 2025, noting that 590,000 tonnes had already been collected with three months remaining.
More recently, addressing a press conference at Cocoa House in Accra on Friday, February 6, 2026, Abbey revealed that although COCOBOD has sold more than 530,000 tonnes of cocoa for the current season, about 50,000 tonnes remain unsold and still with farmers.
He attributed the situation to Ghana’s non-competitive farmgate price, which has made it difficult for buyers to absorb the excess cocoa.
“The situation is where we have beans, but they are not buying; the beans are too expensive,” Abbey said. He assured that efforts are underway to address delayed payments.
Consequently, the projected harvest is well below Ghana’s historical average of 800,000 tonnes and far from the more than 1 million tonnes recorded during the 2020/2021 bumper season.
COCOBOD cited aging plantations, the spread of Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease, illegal gold mining known locally as galamsey, smuggling, and climate-related weather disruptions as the main factors behind the decline.
Competitors are on the rise
Meanwhile, rival producers are steadily expanding, positioning themselves to challenge Ghana’s long-held global ranking.
Ecuador is leading the charge in South America, projected to produce more than 650,000 tonnes in the 2025/2026 season, with expectations of reaching 800,000 tonnes by the end of the decade.
Ecuadorian yields average about 800 kilograms per hectare, compared with less than 500 kilograms per hectare in West Africa, and farmers receive roughly 90% of the world market price, well above the 60–70% earned by farmers in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
Across Southeast Asia, Indonesia, the world’s third-largest cocoa producer, is also on the rise. The country, which primarily cultivates Forastero beans with some Trinitario varieties, recorded 641,741 tonnes in 2023 and dominates the region’s cocoa market.
Exports reached $47 million that year, and global supply forecasts suggest Indonesian output could grow by roughly 30% to around 836,000 tonnes by 2026.
This growth is supported by government programs and private initiatives such as Cocoa Life, which aim to improve fermentation consistency and overall farm yields.
In West Africa, Nigeria, currently ranked fourth globally, has likewise signalled ambitions to increase production.
The country aims to raise output from about 340,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes, targeting roughly 6.5% of global supply.
While year-round irrigation and state support could boost production, structural challenges remain. Even so, Nigeria could still emerge as a credible contender to challenge Ghana’s position as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer.
Global market pressures
As of February 12, 2026, cocoa futures have corrected from the historic peaks of 2024 but remain elevated, trading around the mid‑$3,700s per tonne, according to global ICE cocoa futures prices.
In response to ongoing volatility, a United Nations Cocoa Conference on February 13, 2026, will inaugurate the new International Cocoa Agreement, aiming to promote sustainability and ensure price stability across the sector.
Ghana’s ability to maintain its second-place ranking will hinge on domestic reforms and how quickly it responds to rising competition from Ecuador, Indonesia, and Nigeria.
The Minister for Finance, Hon. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare have met cocoa processors and other key stakeholders in the cocoa sector as part of government’s ongoing engagements with strategic sectors of the economy.
The maiden meeting, held at the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry in Accra on Thursday, February 12, 2026, focused on government’s planned reforms in the cocoa sector and the readiness of local processors to expand value addition and domestic processing.
The engagement formed part of consultations aimed at ensuring that Ghana derives greater value from its cocoa resources through increased local processing, job creation and stronger industrial growth.
In her opening remarks, Hon. Ofosu-Adjare said government was committed to moving Ghana beyond the export of raw cocoa beans and ensuring that more of the commodity is processed locally to create jobs and improve incomes across the value chain.
“We are serious about value addition, the creation of jobs, and ensuring that farmers get better value for their wealth,” she stated. “It is our bid to add value to our raw materials and create jobs for the youth.”
She explained that strengthening domestic processing would boost industrial output, expand export earnings and contribute to a more resilient economy.
According to the Trade Minister, government’s planned reforms are expected to improve the performance of the cocoa sector and support broader economic stability, including efforts to strengthen the cedi.
“These reforms will make the economy stronger and also strengthen the cedi,” she said. “That is why we are engaging industry players in the cocoa sector to see how best we can address their challenges and also find out about their preparedness for the new reforms.”
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare described the cocoa sector as a major pillar of Ghana’s economy, noting its long-standing contribution to national development and foreign exchange earnings.
She indicated that government’s reform agenda would be comprehensive and stakeholder-driven, adding that consultations with industry players were essential to ensure that the measures introduced address key challenges while improving efficiency and competitiveness.
“Government is going to roll out a comprehensive reform program for the cocoa sector. The sector has done so well in the Ghanaian economy, and we believe everyone will be happy to embrace the new direction,” she added.
The Minister for Finance, Hon. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, also reiterated government’s commitment to supporting policies that promote value addition, industrial growth and economic transformation, particularly within key export sectors such as cocoa.
Participants at the meeting included representatives of cocoa processing companies and other industry stakeholders, who shared perspectives on operational issues, capacity needs and areas where government support would be required to enable local processors to scale up.
The engagement is expected to inform government’s final policy direction as it prepares to implement reforms aimed at modernizing the cocoa sector, deepening local value addition and strengthening Ghana’s industrial base.
The National Cocoa Farmers Association of Ghana has declared that any move to remove the Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Randy Abbey, must be extended to his deputies and the entire senior executive team.
Yaa Asantewaa, Public Relations Officer of the Association, asserted that the current leadership at COCOBOD has demonstrated a clear lack of competence in managing the sector.
Speaking in response to the announcement that President John Dramani Mahama will convene an emergency Cabinet meeting to address the ongoing cocoa crisis, Madam Asantewaa described the move as “long overdue.”
While she welcomed the meeting, she emphasised that the only acceptable outcome for farmers is the immediate release of all unpaid arrears.
“Our expectation is that what we are owed will be paid. The meeting summoned by the President is long overdue. We have complained for too long, and so we expect that they will pay us.”
She further warned that the Association would “advise itself” should the government fail to settle the debts or attempt to reduce the current price of cocoa.
Addressing the political context, Madam Asantewaa acknowledged that the current administration inherited significant debts from the previous government.
However, she noted that farmers expect the NDC government to honour its campaign promises. “It was one of the reasons we voted against the NPP in 2024,” she stated.
“The NDC promised to do better. They told us the government would give us GH¢7,000 for our cocoa, but we have yet to receive it.”
When questioned about the potential removal of Dr Randy Abbey, Madam Asantewaa expressed indifference toward him personally, focusing instead on what she described as the collective failure of the board’s leadership.
“We had no major concern about his appointment, although we questioned how a media personality and a football administrator would be appointed to manage the cocoa sector. But President Mahama knew why he appointed him. We have no interest in whether he is sacked or retained.”
However, she was quick to add that if the President deems Dr Abbey unfit for the role, the purge must be thorough.
“COCOBOD is always recording losses. Why should that be the case when we have people working there? If it were a private business, would they have managed it in that manner? From our assessment, we think those at the helm of affairs at COCOBOD are incompetent and not Randy Abbey alone. They have created difficulties for cocoa farmers, and if the President is committed to cocoa, he must take immediate action.”
In her concluding remarks, Madam Asantewaa suggested that the recent establishment of the Ghana Gold Board may have distracted the government, leading to a shift in focus and resources away from the cocoa sector.
The second edition of the Canada-Africa Agribusiness Summit (CAAS) is set to take place on July 15 and 16, 2026, in Saskatoon, Canada, with organisers projecting a significant expansion in scope and participation from across the African continent.
The summit, hosted by Voazok Agritours Canada and co-organised with Eventus Nation and the African Agribusiness Incubators Network, is expected to attract more than 500 agribusiness leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and agricultural innovators from Canada and Africa for two days of high-level engagement focused on trade, investment and partnership-building.
Building on the success of the inaugural Canada-Ghana Agribusiness Summit held in Saskatoon in 2025, the 2026 edition broadens participation to include stakeholders from across Africa.
The organisers say the expanded format reflects growing interest in structured, trade-driven collaboration between Canadian and African agribusinesses.
The summit is positioned within the framework of Canada’s Africa Strategy and the African Continental Free Trade Area, with a stated aim of narrowing existing trade gaps by facilitating practical partnerships and commercial linkages.
Canada-Africa merchandise trade stood at US$16.3 billion in 2023, a figure organisers believe can be significantly scaled through targeted agribusiness cooperation.
Held under the theme “Building a Trade-Driven Future for Canada and Africa,” CAAS 2026 is being promoted as a results-oriented platform designed to translate dialogue into concrete business outcomes.
The programme will feature business matchmaking sessions, investment roundtables, export readiness workshops and agri-technology showcases intended to support deal-making and long-term collaboration.
“The summit is about creating real opportunities for agribusinesses on both continents,” said Dr Mary M. Buhr, Chair of the Canada-Africa Agribusiness Summit.
Highlighting Africa’s growing role in global agricultural trade, the Chief Executive Officer and Summit Host of Voazok Agritours Canada, Derrick Owusu-Kodua, said, “Africa is eager for equal partnerships and mutually beneficial trade, and this summit presents a timely opportunity for both Canada and Africa as countries explore trade diversification.”
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eventus Nation Ghana, Stephen Gyasi-Kwaw, described the gathering as a catalyst for practical collaboration, saying, “by bringing together the right people, expertise, and capital, we’re poised to transform Canada-Africa agribusiness collaboration from potential into prosperity.”
Discussions at the summit will focus on key areas across the agricultural value chain, including market access and export development, investment partnerships, agri-technology transfer, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable food systems and value chain integration.
The organisers have also opened a Country Delegation Programme, inviting representatives across Africa to serve as delegation leads. These leads will be tasked with mobilising national and regional participants and positioning their markets within emerging Canada-Africa agribusiness value chains.
CAAS 2026 is open to agribusiness SMEs, cooperatives, exporters, startups, investors, technology providers, development organisations and government agencies with an interest in strengthening agricultural trade between the two regions. Registration is currently open to interested businesses.
President John Dramani Mahama has announced steps to reactivate the Pwalugu Tomato Factory as part of the broader development agenda for the Upper East Region.
According to the president, measures are being taken to enable the factory to resume full operations.
He disclosed that farmers within the factory’s catchment areas have been supplied with a new high-yield tomato seed variety with higher flesh content, selected specifically to meet the factory’s processing requirements.
President Mahama said the intervention is expected to boost tomato production, reduce post-harvest losses, create jobs, and support agro-industrial growth in the region. He added that the move will also provide a reliable market for local farmers.
He was addressing members of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs during a courtesy call at the Presidency in Accra.
