GHANA’S government has unveiled plans to acquire 200,000 hectares of land by the end of the year to revive cocoa production, after output plunged to its lowest level in over two decades. The announcement was made on Friday by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson.
The land acquisition aims to support smallholder cocoa farmers and enhance long-term productivity, the Ministry of Finance said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Ghana is the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, but its annual output has collapsed from a peak of 1 million metric tonnes to around 500,000 tonnes, due to a mix of climate pressures, disease, and illegal gold mining.
Bold response to a sector in crisis
Forson, who also sits on the board of the country’s cocoa regulator, called the sharp fall in production a national concern that demands bold policy interventions.
‘This strategic intervention will help stabilise and revitalise cocoa production in Ghana,’ the ministry noted.
The initiative is designed to complement existing smallholder operations rather than replace them, and is expected to form part of a broader push to modernise Ghana’s agricultural backbone.
Climate, mining and disease take toll
Illegal gold mining, known locally as ‘galamsey’, has devastated large areas of cocoa farmland, especially in the Western, Ashanti, and Eastern regions. Compounded by tree diseases such as swollen shoot virus and irregular rainfall patterns, Ghana’s once-thriving cocoa industry is under mounting pressure.
The land acquisition plan is seen as a way to introduce more structured farming systems, with better disease control, irrigation, and research-led practices to restore yields.
Details yet to emerge
The Finance Ministry has not yet revealed where the land will be located or how it will be managed. It remains unclear whether the government will operate the plantations directly or lease them to private cocoa producers.
Cocoa is a key foreign exchange earner for Ghana, and the prolonged downturn in output has affected both export earnings and rural livelihoods. Analysts say the government’s initiative could help stabilise prices, reassure buyers, and restore confidence in the country’s cocoa supply chain.
