Ghanaian cocoa farmers are expressing cautious optimism about a bumper harvest in the upcoming 2025/26 season, driven by improved flowering, healthier pods, and favorable weather conditions. This hopeful outlook comes despite ongoing struggles with pesticide shortages and erratic rainfall.
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In recent years, cocoa output in Ghana, one of the world’s top producers, has been hampered by disease outbreaks, illegal gold mining, and climate change. However, farmers like Theophilus Tamakloe, Vice President of a national farmers’ association, believe things are turning around.
“Farmers who’ve invested in their farms will enjoy a bumper harvest this season,” said Tamakloe, who farms in the Assin North district. He’s projecting an increase from 230 bags last season to 350 bags this time.
Salomey Saah, another farmer from the Tano district, shares the optimism. “I treated my farm as a business this year, and I’ve seen huge improvements,” she said, targeting 2,000 bags, double her previous season’s yield. But she warned that a lack of pesticides could lead to crop destruction within days.
Kwame Alex, Ghana’s 2024 National Best Cocoa Farmer, harvested over 2,000 bags last season and is aiming for 3,000 in 2025/26.
Despite these positive signs, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has yet to announce an official production target. Earlier this year, the agency revealed that output for the current 2024/25 season could fall short, projecting just 590,000 metric tons, well below the initial 650,000-ton target.
Ghana and neighbouring Ivory Coast, which together produce over 60% of the world’s cocoa, are battling their worst harvests in decades, making the upcoming season a critical test for recovery.
