President John Dramani Mahama has directed an emergency cabinet meeting for Wednesday, February 11, 2026, to address the worsening crisis in Ghana’s cocoa sector. The development 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 meeting comes amid growing concerns over delayed payments to cocoa farmers and broader financial stress across the sector, which has raised alarm among stakeholders nationwide.
The Minority in Parliament has repeatedly sounded the alarm over the situation, urging the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to take urgent steps to stabilise the industry and ensure timely disbursement of funds to farmers.
Isaac Yaw Opoku, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, has criticised both the government and COCOBOD for failing to reimburse Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs).
According to him, the delay has left many farmers unpaid for several months and threatens the viability of cocoa purchasing operations.
“Funds owed to LBCs — which purchase cocoa beans on behalf of COCOBOD — now exceed GHC10 billion, constraining the companies’ ability to pay farmers and threatening the viability of cocoa purchasing operations,” he stated.
The payment delays have triggered frustration among cocoa farmers, with many calling for immediate settlement of arrears.
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.
Responding to the crisis, COCOBOD confirmed that it has begun making payments to LBCs to enable them to clear outstanding obligations to farmers. The board also said it is exploring new financing arrangements aimed at stabilising the sector in the long term.
The emergency cabinet meeting is expected to focus on government interventions to address liquidity challenges in the cocoa value chain and ensure that the sector, which is a key pillar of Ghana’s economy, continues to operate smoothly.
