Mahama convenes emergency cabinet meeting over cocoa sector crisis

President John Dramani Mahama has summoned his cabinet for an urgent meeting on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, as Ghana’s cocoa industry faces mounting financial strain and growing unrest among farmers.

The announcement was made by Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, in a Facebook post on February 10. The meeting comes amid escalating concerns over delayed payments to cocoa farmers and liquidity challenges within the sector.

The Minority in Parliament has repeatedly warned of the crisis, pressing government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to act swiftly. Isaac Yaw Opoku, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, criticized both the administration and COCOBOD for failing to reimburse Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs). He said arrears owed to LBCs now exceed GH¢10 billion, leaving them unable to pay farmers and threatening the sustainability of cocoa purchasing operations.

“The exchange rates we are seeing, who caused them?” he asked, stressing that farmers had been paid under prevailing government-determined exchange rates between January and October, making it difficult to shift blame elsewhere.

The payment delays have sparked frustration nationwide, with farmers demanding immediate settlement of arrears. Many have dismissed COCOBOD’s assurances, urging the board to move beyond promises and deliver concrete action.

In response, COCOBOD has confirmed that it has begun releasing funds to LBCs to enable them to clear outstanding obligations. The board also indicated it is exploring new financing arrangements aimed at stabilizing the sector in the long term.

The emergency cabinet meeting is expected to focus on measures to ease liquidity pressures across the cocoa value chain and restore confidence among farmers. For many observers, the gathering will be a critical test of the government’s ability to safeguard Ghana’s most important cash crop and the livelihoods of thousands of farmers who depend on it.