By: Ashiadey Dotse
Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson has announced that government has raised the producer price of cocoa from $3,100 to $5,040 per tonne, starting Thursday, August 7, 2025.
In a Facebook post on Monday August 4, 2025, Dr. Ato Forson, who chairs the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC), said the new cocoa price was agreed upon after a meeting of the committee for the 2025/2026 season. He noted that the increase represents a 62.58% jump in dollar terms compared to the previous rate.
According to the Minister, this new price reflects 70% of the gross Free-On-Board (FOB) value of $7,200 per tonne. He explained that this move fulfils President John Mahama’s campaign promise to pay cocoa farmers 70% of the FOB price.
He contrasted the new decision with the previous government’s approach, saying that during the 2024/2025 cocoa season, the then-administration set the FOB at $4,850 per tonne, with farmers receiving only $3,100 a share of 63.9% even when the world market prices were more favourable.
Dr. Forson said the gross FOB figure was based on outstanding cocoa contracts of around 100,000 tonnes sold at $2,600 per tonne in the 2023/2024 season, combined with average forecasts for the 2025/2026 season.
In cedi terms, using an exchange rate of GHS10.25 to the US dollar, the producer price has moved from GHS49,600 to GHS51,660 per tonne. This translates to GHS3,228.75 per bag of cocoa weighing 64 kilograms gross.
He also announced that from this season, President Mahama’s administration is bringing back the free cocoa fertiliser programme. Farmers will receive free fertilisers, insecticides, spraying machines, fungicides, and flower inducers to help boost yield and increase earnings.
Dr. Forson urged all cocoa farmers to use these farming inputs responsibly to improve production and raise their incomes.
