Government has begun consultations with cocoa processors as it prepares reforms aimed at increasing domestic value addition in the world’s second-largest cocoa producer and reducing reliance on exports of raw beans.
Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare and Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson met industry players, in discussions focused on government’s planned overhaul of the sector and the capacity of local processors to expand operations.
“We are serious about value addition, the creation of jobs, and ensuring that farmers get better value for their wealth,” Ofosu-Adjare said at the meeting. She added that strengthening domestic processing would improve industrial output, expand export earnings and support efforts to stabilize the economy, including the cedi.
Ghana’s cocoa sector remains a key source of foreign exchange and livelihoods, but has long struggled to process a larger share of its output locally despite being a major global supplier. Successive governments have pledged to deepen value addition as a way to increase revenues, create jobs and reduce exposure to volatile commodity prices.
Ofosu-Adjare said the reforms will be comprehensive and stakeholder-driven, with government seeking to address challenges facing processors while improving competitiveness across the value chain.
According to the finance minister, government will support policies that promote industrial growth and economic transformation in export sectors such as cocoa.
Representatives of processing firms and other stakeholders used the meeting to outline operational constraints, capacity needs and areas where state support would be required to enable expansion, the statement said.
The engagement is expected to shape government’s final policy direction as it moves toward implementing reforms designed to modernize the cocoa industry and strengthen Ghana’s industrial base.
