Smuggling takes a heavy toll on Ghana’s cocoa revenue

Director of Special Services at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Charles Amenyaglo has revealed that Ghana has lost a third of its cocoa within the 2023/24 season to smuggling activities.

Reports indicate that farmers in Ghana currently face the pressure induced by local prices and payment delays to give up their cocoa farms at a price to increasingly sophisticated trafficking rings.

The head of the COCOBOD anti-smuggling task force, pointed out that the country, produced 429,323 metric tons of cocoa by the end of June from the start of the season in September, less than 55% of the average at the same point in previous seasons and putting 2023/24 output on track for its biggest fall in more than two decades.

“Conservatively, I will say we lost 160,000 tons,” he said, adding that the task force also intercepted about 250 tons, up from 17 tons in 2022/23.

General Secretary of Ghana’s cocoa and coffee farmers association, expressed concern regarding the matter, touting the rate as alarming.

Mr. Amenyaglo notes that a number of smugglers have already been captured and has made hints of an imminent deployment of Ghana’s military to tackle smugglers.