President John Dramani Mahama has called for an emergency cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, 2026, to address the worsening crisis in Ghana’s cocoa sector.
The meeting was announced by the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
The move comes amid mounting concerns over delayed payments to cocoa farmers and broader financial stress within the sector.
The Minority in Parliament has repeatedly sounded the alarm over the situation, urging the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to take urgent action to stabilise the industry.
The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Isaac Yaw Opoku, has criticised the government and COCOBOD for failing to reimburse Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs), a delay that has left many farmers unpaid for several months.
He said funds owed to LBCs — which purchase cocoa beans on behalf of COCOBOD — now exceed GH¢10 billion, constraining the companies’ ability to pay farmers and threatening the viability of cocoa purchasing operations.
The payment delays have sparked frustration among farmers nationwide, with some calling for immediate settlement of arrears.
Cocoa farmers have also expressed dissatisfaction with assurances from COCOBOD about resolving the issue, urging the board to move beyond promises and deliver payments without further delay.
In response to the crisis, COCOBOD has stated that it has begun making payments to LBCs to enable them to clear outstanding obligations to farmers.
The board is also exploring new financing arrangements aimed at long-term stability.
The emergency cabinet meeting is expected to focus on government interventions to address the liquidity challenges in the cocoa value chain.
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