COCOBOD courts Japanese chocolate makers

Ghana is seeking to strengthen its foothold in Japan’s chocolate market, with Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) opening talks with some of the country’s biggest confectionery firms to expand trade and cooperation.

At an industry expo in Japan, COCOBOD Chief Executive Dr. Ransford Abbey met with executives from chocolate manufacturers including Glico and Itochu – discussing long-term supply commitments and joint programmes to tackle challenges facing Ghana’s cocoa sector. Japan sources almost 70 percent of its cocoa imports from Ghana, making the country a critical market.

Dr. Abbey reaffirmed Ghana’s pledge to maintain steady supplies of cocoa despite threats ranging from crop disease to illegal mining.

He said COCOBOD is intensifying efforts to combat the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) and rehabilitate degraded farms.

“We remain committed to delivering premium cocoa beans to the Japanese market,” Dr. Abbey said.

However, he added that Japanese firms can play a role in supporting rehabilitation initiatives.

Executives from the Japanese companies welcomed the proposals, stressing the importance of Ghanaian cocoa to their value chains. They pledged to continue backing COCOBOD’s efforts at keeping production sustainable.

The talks come after Ghana raised its cocoa producer price for the 2025/26 crop season to US$5,040 per tonne, up from US$3,100 last season. The 62.6 percent increase reflects tight global supplies and rising demand, with farmers now entitled to 70 percent of the Free-on-Board (FoB) price. In cedi terms, the new price is GH?51,660 per tonne or GH?3,228.75 per 64-kilogramme bag.

Still, currency dynamics have tempered the gains. With the local currency appreciating to about GH?10.25 per dollar from GH?16 previously, the cedi-equivalent value of the dollar increase is far smaller than it might have been. At the weaker exchange rate, a tonne at US$5,040 would have translated to                GH?80,640. Instead, the actual payout is about a third lower – leaving farmers divided on whether the new price represents a meaningful boost.

Starting next season, COCOBOD will roll out the Ghana Cocoa Traceability System designed to track beans from farms to ports. This initiative is key in meeting the European Union’s deforestation regulation – set to take effect at the end of 2025 – and aims to assure international buyers that Ghana’s cocoa is deforestation-free, child-labour-free and sustainable.

Government is also pushing to process more of the country’s beans domestically rather than exporting them raw. COCOBOD has signalled an ambition of raising local processing to about 50 percent of annual output by partnering with private investors.

Dr. Abbey told Japanese firms that Ghana is open to investment in local chocolate manufacturing, which could help the country capture more value from its exports.

The engagement with Japanese manufacturers underscores Ghana’s dual strategy: shoring-up its traditional export markets while preparing for tighter sustainability rules and working to build more value at home.

With Japan’s confectionery industry already heavily dependent on Ghanaian beans, closer ties could secure long-term stability for both sides.

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