‘It is hard to get cocoa to process in Ghana’ — Bright Simons laments

A Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has lamented the challenges faced by local processors in accessing cocoa beans in Ghana, despite the country’s position as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer.

In a social media post on Monday, June 9, the policy analyst criticised the country's cocoa sector structure, which he said makes it nearly impossible for processors and entrepreneurs to source raw cocoa for local value addition.

“Ghana is the world’s 2nd largest cocoa producer, but you can go to jail for buying fresh cocoa or the beans. In fact, you won’t find cocoa fruit or beans sold in virtually any markets,” he wrote in part.

Mr. Simons traced the root of the problem to the licensing regime, where only state-approved firms can buy cocoa, with the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) maintaining full control over exports.

This, according to him, has created a system where processors in Ghana face the same struggles as foreign buyers, if not worse.

“It is hard to get cocoa to process in Ghana,” Simons noted, citing the experience of the Western Africa Mills Company (WAMCO), which collapsed in 2016 after persistent supply challenges, despite government being a shareholder.

He pointed out that the situation has not improved, as local cocoa processors can only access 40% of national output, although they have the capacity to process all of it.

“Many plants had to shut for extended periods, as the promised allocation of the light crop and grade I & II cocoa they depend on just wasn’t flowing,” he stated.

Mr. Simons also revealed that some processors have now resorted to importing cocoa to stay afloat, a situation he described as ironic and troubling for a country that claims to want to industrialise its cocoa sector.