The Ghana Cocoa Board has disbursed $74.5 million to fertilizer and agrochemical suppliers over the first half of 2026 to reduce debts linked to national mass spraying and yield-enhancement initiatives.
Addressing Parliament, Deputy Finance Minister Hon. Thomas Ampem Nyarko explained that COCOBOD is “approaching the issue systematically” to rebuild its fiscal strength and address commitments to all creditors in a “sustainable and transparent manner.”
He noted that structural reforms are underway to stabilise the institution’s finances, adding that “Government is fixing the system so that suppliers are paid not once but always. Predictably, transparently, and on time.”
This financial strain stems from the 2023/2024 season, when COCOBOD procured $668.6 million in agrochemicals despite a much smaller $76.5 million budget, worsening arrears accumulated since 2021.
The Deputy Minister characterised the outstanding debt as part of “a much larger financial challenge inherited in the cocoa sector” that current officials are aiming to rectify.
While the mass spraying and tech programs remain vital for providing subsidized inputs to protect crops and boost production, previous payment delays have threatened to disrupt the supply chain for local farmers.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana