Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has disclosed that the Dangote Group has expressed interest in using Ghana as a cocoa-processing hub, with discussions underway over a proposed contract involving 500,000 metric tonnes of cocoa.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday after presenting the 2027 Budget to Parliament, Dr Forson said the engagement could support the government’s ambition to increase domestic cocoa processing and retain more value from the country’s cocoa production.
“Dangote has reached out to use Ghana as a hub to process cocoa locally,” he said.
The minister explained that discussions were ongoing and that the terms of the proposed arrangement were still being examined. He, however, did not indicate that an agreement had been finalised.
“We are going through the terms, and they want to sign a contract,” he added.
The disclosure comes amid questions about Ghana’s capacity to meet its cocoa-processing targets of processing 50 per cent of locally produced cocoa by 2028 and 100 per cent by 2030.
Dr Forson argued that Ghana must move beyond exporting raw cocoa beans for processing elsewhere and encourage companies to undertake value addition locally.
“We are not saying don’t come and buy our cocoa beans, but if you are a company out there, come and buy our cocoa beans, but add value here in Ghana,” he said.
He recalled encountering a variety of cocoa products during a recent visit to Bangkok for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings, saying the experience reinforced the need for Ghana to expand its domestic processing capacity.
Asked whether the government would introduce legislation to support the policy, Dr Forson said a new Cocoa Board Act currently before Parliament contains a mandatory local-processing requirement.
He added that a legislative instrument would establish the timetable for achieving the targets.
“The LI that will back it will specify that by 2030, by 2030 move from 50 to 100 per cent,” he said.
Government targets agricultural modernisation
The cocoa-processing initiative forms part of a broader government effort to modernise agriculture, increase domestic production and reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported food.
Dr Forson said the country had the land, water resources and workforce needed to expand agricultural production but stressed that a shift away from peasant farming was necessary.
“We spend about 3.5 billion United States dollars yearly to bring foodstuffs into our country. It cannot continue,” he said.
He questioned why Ghana continued to import products such as palm oil, sugar, rice and poultry despite having the potential to strengthen local production.
The minister also identified opportunities to expand maize and soybean cultivation for poultry feed, alongside increased vegetable production.
“All we need to do is modernise agriculture,” he said.
