Cocoa Products Account for 70% of Ghana’s Food Export Earnings in 2025
Cocoa products remained the backbone of Ghana’s food exports in 2025, contributing 70.8 percent of total food export earnings and driving a sharp increase in the country’s agricultural trade performance, according to the Ghana Statistical Service’s 2025 Annual International Merchandise Trade Statistics Report.
Food exports rose significantly to GH¢79.4 billion in 2025 from GH¢46.1 billion in 2024, while food imports declined to GH¢36.5 billion from GH¢38.9 billion over the same period. The strong export performance was largely fuelled by cocoa beans and processed cocoa products, reinforcing the sector’s central role in Ghana’s export economy.
Cocoa beans remained the country’s leading food export, generating GH¢34.4 billion in earnings during the year. Processed cocoa products also made substantial contributions, with cocoa paste earning GH¢9.4 billion and natural cocoa butter contributing GH¢4.8 billion. Other cocoa derivatives, including cocoa powder and processed cocoa butter, further boosted export receipts.
The figures highlight the increasing importance of value addition within Ghana’s cocoa industry. While raw cocoa beans continued to dominate exports, processed cocoa products accounted for a growing share of export value, reflecting rising global demand for cocoa ingredients used in food manufacturing.
Europe and North America remained key markets for Ghana’s cocoa products. The Netherlands was the largest destination, accounting for 27.9 percent of cocoa exports, followed by the United States with 20.2 percent. Belgium received 7.5 percent, while France accounted for 5.7 percent, underscoring Ghana’s strong presence in major international cocoa markets.
Despite the impressive growth, the report also exposes the heavy concentration of Ghana’s food export earnings. More than seven out of every ten cedis generated from food exports came from cocoa and its derivatives, leaving the sector highly exposed to fluctuations in global cocoa prices, supply conditions and international demand.
Other agricultural products also contributed to export earnings, though on a much smaller scale. These included cashew nuts, edible fruits and nuts, shea products and processed seafood, demonstrating opportunities to broaden the country’s agricultural export base.
The report suggests that while cocoa will remain Ghana’s flagship agricultural export, expanding investment in processing and promoting other high-value agricultural products will be essential to reducing export concentration. As global demand for food ingredients continues to rise, Ghana has an opportunity to strengthen its competitiveness by developing a wider range of value-added agricultural exports and building a more diversified food export sector.
