Cocoa farmers to get free farm supplies for 2025/26 season

Cocoa farmers across Ghana are set to benefit from a comprehensive input support program beginning with the 2025/26 crop season, the government has announced.

Under the initiative, farmers will receive fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, spraying machines, and flower inducers, all free of charge.

The support package, aimed at boosting productivity and revitalizing the cocoa sector, was outlined in a press statement issued by the Ministry of Finance and signed by Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who chairs the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC).

According to the statement, the intervention is designed to help farmers increase yields, cut production costs, and ultimately improve incomes.

In a major development, the government also announced a sharp increase in the producer price of cocoa. Effective Thursday, August 7, 2025, the price has been raised from USD3,100 to USD5,040 per tonne, representing a 62.58 percent increase in dollar terms.

This new price equates to 70 percent of the gross Free-On-Board (FOB) value of USD7,200 per tonne, aligned with President John Mahama’s pledge to restore cocoa farmers’ fair share of international market earnings.

Despite the notable rise in dollar terms, the cedi equivalent of the new price has seen only a modest increase, moving from GHS49,600 to GHS51,660 per tonne (or GHS3,100 to GHS3,228.75 per bag), representing a 4.15 percent gain in local currency.

The relatively small increase has been attributed to the strong performance of the Ghana cedi during the period.

While the appreciation of the cedi brings macroeconomic benefits, the government acknowledged it has tempered local currency gains for cocoa farmers.

Since the second quarter of 2025, the producer price remained at GHS49,600 per tonne despite the cedi’s appreciation.

According to Dr. Forson, this effectively protected farmers from exchange rate-related income losses. The intervention subsidized farmers by GHS1,114 per bag, temporarily raising their share of the FOB price to over 99 percent, a major improvement compared to the 63.9 percent share under the previous administration during the 2024/25 season.

The Ministry urged cocoa farmers to use the distributed inputs strictly for their intended purpose of improving productivity and raising incomes. It reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening support for the sector.