Ghana’s cocoa production has reached 429,323 metric tons, or less than 55% of the average seasonal output, as the harvesting nears completion at the end of June, according to data from the country’s marketing board, Cocobod.
Disastrous harvests in Ghana and Ivory Coast, the world’s biggest producer, have driven up global cocoa prices since the start of the year. Together, the two countries account for around 60% of global cocoa supply.
The bulk of Ghana’s cocoa harvest is usually completed by the end of June, and the Cocobod data roughly reflects this season’s main crop output for the world’s second-largest producer. Both leading producers have been hit by adverse weather conditions and tree disease, while Ghana’s cocoa production has also been hobbled by the impacts of informal mining and smuggling.
The Cocobod data does not capture production that may have been trafficked out of the country illegally. Ghana’s annual cocoa output averaged 800,000 tons over the last five seasons, according to International Cocoa Organization data, including a 2020/21 peak of over 1 million tons. However, the Cocobod data reflects three successive seasons of decline, with full-season output at 683,269 tons in 2021/22 and 656,140 tons the last season.
The two leading cocoa-growing regions in Ghana, Ashanti and Western South, have been the biggest contributors to the overall drop in production. Ashanti produced 103,976 tons of beans by the end of June, compared to a full-season figure of 160,855 tons last season, while Western South recorded production of 96,810 tons by the end of June, compared to 152,277 tons last season.