Ghana Moves to Secure Cocoa Farmland Amid Production Crisis

Editorial: reda El ghazal

Launching a major agricultural push, Ghana’s government aims to secure 200,000 hectares of land by December to expand cocoa cultivation. This initiative responds to a catastrophic drop in output, with annual yields halving from historic highs of 1 million tons to around 500,000 tons. Climate shocks, disease outbreaks, and illegal gold mining ravaging fertile cocoa zones have driven the sector to its weakest performance in 20 years.

To tackle these challenges, authorities plan to establish state-managed plantations alongside existing small farms, aiming to modernize practices and stabilize supply chains. Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson emphasized the urgency of “decisive action” to reverse production declines, noting aging trees and land degradation as critical threats. The strategy includes replanting disease-resistant seedlings and stricter enforcement against mining encroachment.

The plan also seeks to secure Ghana’s position as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer while safeguarding farmer livelihoods. By integrating sustainable techniques and rehabilitating damaged land, officials hope to attract investment and rebuild export capacity. Partnerships with agricultural cooperatives and climate-resilient training programs will complement the land acquisition drive, prioritizing long-term sector growth over short-term gains.