Joseph Boahen Aidoo, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), emphasized the organization’s dedication to providing cocoa farmers with competitive prices as a means to combat cocoa smuggling.
During his appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Tuesday to address infractions highlighted in the Auditor-General’s Report for the year ending December 2022, Mr. Aidoo highlighted the effectiveness of COCOBOD’s collaboration with national security agencies in combating the issue. However, he stressed that offering favorable prices remains the most effective long-term solution.
According to Aidoo, ensuring good cocoa prices would act as a deterrent for farmers involved in smuggling Ghana’s cocoa to neighboring countries.
“We have made a lot of arrests. We have arrested people smuggling cocoa in jerrycans among others. But that will not solve the problem. The solution is bringing a new price,” he stressed.
In 2023, Ghana allegedly lost approximately 150,000 metric tonnes of cocoa beans, amounting to around $600 million in revenue during the last crop season, due to smuggling activities to neighboring Burkina Faso and Togo.
In September of the same year, the government raised the purchase price of a bag of cocoa from GH¢800 per 64 kilograms (kg) to GH¢1,308.
From GH¢12,800 per tonne to GH¢20,943 per tonne of raw cocoa beans, represents a 63.5% increase.