The Young Cocoa Farmers Association has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to urgently address growing concerns over the financial challenges confronting cocoa farmers and uncertainty ahead of the 2026/2027 cocoa purchasing season.
The Association said difficulties experienced during the 2025/2026 season had left many young cocoa farmers financially distressed, discouraged and uncertain about the future of the industry.
In the petition dated August 17, 2026 and presented to President Mahama, the farmers said the previous season was characterised by challenges affecting cocoa production, marketing and farmers’ welfare.
According to them, many young farmers were unable to meet their production targets and expected incomes, leaving several farming households struggling to meet basic needs, finance their children’s education, access healthcare and maintain their farms.
A major concern raised in the petition was the inability of some Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) and purchasing clerks to secure adequate funds to purchase cocoa beans during the minor season.
The farmers said the funding difficulties made it difficult for producers to sell their cocoa and access income needed to sustain their households and farming operations.
They explained that, traditionally, the minor season enabled farmers to rely on advances and credit facilities from buyers to finance their operations until the main harvest.
However, they said, financial constraints facing some buyers had limited their ability to provide such support.
“This situation has placed severe financial pressure on farmers and threatens the sustainability of cocoa production,” the Association said.
The farmers further expressed concern over the lack of clarity surrounding the 2026/2027 purchasing season, saying the uncertainty was making it difficult for them to plan investments, labour arrangements, input purchases and production targets.
They, therefore, appealed to the President and his government to provide clarity on whether adequate funds would be available to ensure the purchase of cocoa beans throughout the new season and what measures had been introduced to prevent a recurrence of the financing challenges experienced during the previous season.
The Association also sought clarification on whether the producer price of cocoa would remain stable or be reduced, as well as the official commencement date of the 2026/2027 purchasing season.
Another key issue raised was the policy under which cocoa farmers are expected to receive 70 per cent of the value of cocoa.
The farmers urged the government to clarify how the policy would be implemented and its implications for producers.
They also called for direct engagement with cocoa farmers on the 2026 Cocoa Bill, including detailed explanations of its provisions, implications and expected benefits.
The Association stressed that cocoa farmers remained critical to Ghana’s cocoa industry and the country’s export earnings, arguing that they deserved timely information, policy certainty and prices that reflected the cost of production. “Farmers deserve prices that reflect the true cost of production and provide a reasonable return on our investment,” the petition stated.
The farmers urged the government to engage relevant stakeholders and provide clear direction before the commencement of the new cocoa season, saying this would help restore confidence and enable farmers to plan for the future.
The petition, signed by the Association’s Executive Secretary, Madam Adwoa Mensah and Convenor, Martin Adu, was copied to the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Speaker of Parliament, Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Minister for Finance and Minister for Food and Agriculture.
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