Cocoa farmers are expecting a bumper harvest for the upcoming 2025/26 season, buoyed by improved flowering and pod development, even as they grapple with persistent challenges in input supplies and erratic weather.
The West African country has seen output fall in previous seasons due to reasons, including diseases, climate change and rampant illegal gold mining, which destroys cocoa plantations and reduces yields.
However, growers are cautiously optimistic about the next season, saying better weather conditions and a decline in diseases should help increase production. "Farmers who have dedicated time to their cocoa farms will definitely see a bumper harvest this season," said Theophilus Tamakloe, cocoa farmer and vice president of a national farmers' association. "We are witnessing significant improvement compared to last year in terms of flowers, pods, and leaf health," Tamakloe, who farms in Ghana's Assin North district, added.
Tamakloe is projecting an increase from 230 bags of cocoa last season to 350 bags for the upcoming harvest.
