Ghana’s cocoa regulator, COCOBOD, has revealed that the country has lost between 100,000 and 200,000 metric tonnes of cocoa beans due to smuggling activities to neighboring countries like Togo and Côte d’Ivoire. This loss has occurred between January and the present year, 2023.
Joseph Boahen Aidoo, the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, expressed concern over the impact of these illegal activities on Ghana’s cocoa output and the economy as a whole. He suggested that influential individuals, possibly high-powered businessmen, were involved in the smuggling, as the volumes of cocoa beans being transported exceed what a single cocoa farmer could manage.
Authorities have reportedly arrested some suspects engaged in cocoa smuggling using articulated trucks bound for Togo and other neighboring nations. Aidoo warned that those found guilty could face prison sentences ranging from a minimum of five years to a maximum of ten years.
Aidoo also addressed the issue of fertilizer smuggling in the cocoa sector. He mentioned that the government is considering revising its fertilizer policy by eliminating government subsidies. Instead, the cost of fertilizer would be incorporated into the cocoa price for farmers. This move is intended to deter the smuggling of subsidized fertilizers.
Ghana is set to commence its 2023/2024 cocoa farming season in October. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recently announced an increase in the farm-gate price for cocoa beans from GH¢800 to GH¢1,308 for the upcoming crop season. This marks a 63 percent increase in nearly two decades.
