President John Dramani Mahama has called for an emergency cabinet meeting today, Wednesday, February 11, 2026, to address the intensifying crisis within Ghana’s cocoa sector.
The meeting follows a formal announcement by the Minister of State for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, highlighting the administration’s urgent efforts to resolve growing financial distress among cocoa stakeholders.
Central to the crisis are reports that cocoa farmers nationwide have faced several months of unpaid produce since November 2025, sparked by severe liquidity constraints at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Isaac Yaw Opoku, has publicly criticized the government and COCOBOD for failing to reimburse Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs), stating that outstanding debts to these companies now exceed GH¢10 billion.
This financial bottleneck has effectively stalled cocoa purchasing operations and left many rural families in significant hardship.
In response to the mounting pressure, COCOBOD recently confirmed the disbursement of approximately GH¢620 million to LBCs in February 2026, adding to larger payouts made earlier in the season, including GH¢6 billion in January 2026 and GH¢5 billion in December 2025.
Despite these efforts, COCOBOD Chief Executive Dr. Randy Abbey has acknowledged that the sector faces a systemic crisis rooted in uncompetitive farmgate prices, legacy debts totaling GH¢32.91 billion, and a strained syndicated funding model. Tens of thousands of metric tonnes of cocoa beans currently remain unsold as international buyers have retreated due to price mismatches.
Today’s cabinet discussions are expected to prioritize new financing arrangements and direct government interventions aimed at stabilizing the liquidity chain to ensure that all outstanding arrears to farmers are settled without further delay.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
