The Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association (GNACOFA) has accused officials within the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) of engaging in private cocoa buying activities.
The association warns that these unauthorised operations are distorting market competition, damaging sector transparency, and worsening financial pressures on local farmers.
The allegations were raised by GNACOFA President Stephenson Anane Boateng during the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with the Produce Buying Company (PBC).
The alliance aims to revive the struggling, state-backed cocoa purchasing firm and improve farmer welfare amidst ongoing industry challenges.
”There are concerns involving public officials, particularly within COCOBOD, engaging in private buying operations that undermine confidence in the sector,” Boateng stated.
He emphasised that such practices disadvantage genuine cocoa farmers, disrupt the level playing field for licensed buyers, and create opportunities for financial irregularities.
The partnership comes at a critical juncture for Ghana’s cocoa industry, which is currently grappling with falling production volumes, rampant smuggling, and severe liquidity shortages that have strained both Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) and farmer incomes.
Beyond internal market distortions, Boateng highlighted a broader trifecta of deep-rooted threats endangering Ghana’s cocoa business: cross-border smuggling, the encroachment of illegal mining (galamsey) on cocoa lands, and chronic delayed payments to farmers.
Through its new pact with the PBC, GNACOFA hopes to restore trust across the value chain and reposition the company as a stronger, more reliable institutional buyer.
However, the association stressed that any long-term revival of the sector will ultimately depend on regulators and buying companies operating with absolute integrity.
”This partnership marks a significant milestone toward ensuring the sustainability of Ghana’s cocoa business,” GNACOFA noted, while issuing a call for immediate, sweeping transparency and accountability across the entire sector.