Ghana cocoa output projected to fall 16% in 2026‑27 season

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) forecasts a minimum 16% decline in cocoa production for the 2026‑27 harvest, the sector’s most important foreign‑exchange earner. The drop is attributed to El Niño‑related excessive rains, the tree’s natural biennial bearing cycle, and a sharp reduction in cherelle loads in the Western and Western North regions. These regions, which supply over half of Ghana’s cocoa, are also suffering from swollen shoot disease, ageing plantations and the encroachment of illegal gold‑mining (galamsey) that damages soils and farms.

Farmers have reported markedly lower pod counts, prompting COCOBOD to act by rehabilitating infected farms, expanding insecticide and fungicide spraying, and launching a nationwide free‑fertiliser programme for the 2026‑27 crop year. The outlook mirrors a broader West African trend, with Ivory Coast also expected to see a double‑digit production decline.