Ghana will process all of its cocoa at home by 2030 under a plan that phases out exports of raw cocoa beans, the 2027 Budget has announced.

Published 12 Nov 2026, 22:55 GMT

2 min read

Two hands spreading fermented cocoa beans out to dry on a woven mat — Cocoa beans laid out to dry. Ghana's cocoa output fell by an estimated 20 per cent in 2023/24.

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Ghana will end raw cocoa bean exports by 2030, Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson said in the 2027 Budget presented to Parliament on Thursday, November 12.

The Budget commits Ghana to processing at least half its cocoa at home by 2028 and all of it by 2030, "completing the transition towards a ban on raw cocoa exports".

From beans to bars

Beyond primary grinding, the plan covers cocoa liquor, butter, cake, powder, chocolate and cosmetics, alongside other finished products, with Ghanaian enterprises, researchers and brands expected to take part in the value chain.

"The country that grows the bean must retain a far greater share of the industry built around it," Mr Forson told Parliament.

The season behind the plan

The push follows a strong 2025/26 season, in which production hit 771,000 metric tonnes as at August 2026 and cumulative purchases stood at 690,000 tonnes.

COCOBOD's debt stock also fell from GH¢32.5 billion in March 2025 to GH¢30.55 billion by August 2026, and cocoa roads liabilities were cut from GH¢21 billion to GH¢6.9 billion after a field verification exercise.

It also comes as world prices fall. Cocoa averaged US$4,543.15 per tonne in the first nine months of 2026, down 48.9 per cent from the same period of 2025.

Ghana still earned US$3.0 billion from cocoa exports in the period, up 15.9 per cent year on year, according to the Budget's own figures.

The Statement anticipates a decline in cocoa production in 2027 because of the effects of El Niño. Heat is already causing "serious flower abortion" across the cocoa belt, a University of Cape Coast crop scientist warned this week.

What the Budget leaves out

The Statement does not name the law that will enforce the export ban, set a date for it beyond the 2030 target, or detail the financing processors will get to triple capacity. It also does not say whether farmer prices or export earnings will change in the meantime.

Araba IncoomAraba Incoom writes on multiple topics with a vast knowledge across different sector. You can almost call me an AI, after all, my initials are Araba Incoom.

Raw cocoa exports to end by 2030 as Budget targets 100% local processing

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