AGI Pushes for Cocoa Processing Plants in Growing Areas to Boost Value Addition
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) is intensifying calls for the establishment of small-scale cocoa processing plants in cocoa-growing communities as part of a broader strategy to deepen value addition and accelerate industrial growth in Ghana’s cocoa sector.
The association revealed that it is engaging the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Agribusiness to facilitate the rollout of the initiative, which aims to ensure that a significant portion of cocoa beans is processed locally before export.
Speaking at the AGI National Council Retreat, the association emphasised that decentralising processing infrastructure to cocoa-producing areas would transform local economies and reduce Ghana’s long-standing dependence on raw cocoa exports.
“We are engaging the Trade Minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, to have cocoa processing plants to refine our beans before exporting,” AGI stated.
According to the association, Ghana continues to lose substantial economic value by exporting raw cocoa beans instead of finished or semi-finished products such as cocoa liquor, butter, powder, and chocolate. Establishing processing facilities closer to farms, it noted, would help reverse this trend by embedding value addition within the domestic supply chain.
AGI explained that the move would not only reduce post-harvest losses and transportation costs but also stimulate rural industrialisation by creating jobs for thousands of young people in cocoa-growing communities. It added that such an approach would support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises involved in processing, packaging, and distribution.
The initiative also aligns with ongoing government efforts to reform the cocoa sector and promote local processing as a key pillar of economic transformation. Industry stakeholders have increasingly advocated policies that prioritise domestic utilisation of cocoa beans to boost export earnings and strengthen Ghana’s trade balance.
AGI further stressed that achieving this vision will require deliberate policy coordination, including tax incentives, access to affordable financing, reliable power supply, and improved road infrastructure in cocoa-producing regions.
It also highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in mobilising investment and technical expertise to support the establishment of processing plants.
The association maintained that Ghana has the capacity to significantly expand its cocoa processing footprint if structural bottlenecks are addressed. With global demand for processed cocoa products continuing to rise, AGI believes that positioning Ghana as a hub for cocoa processing will not only enhance foreign exchange earnings but also create a more resilient and inclusive economy.
