Ghanaian cocoa farmers are warning of a sharp decline in output for the 2026/27 season as unusually heavy rains damage flowering crops and fuel the spread of black pod disease across major cocoa-growing regions.
Farmers in the world’s second-largest cocoa producer told Reuters that rainfall levels have been the heaviest they have experienced in more than a decade, with flooding damaging farms and causing cocoa flowers to fall before they develop into pods.
The weather conditions have raised concerns about Ghana’s future cocoa supply, coming after previous climate-related disruptions contributed to a surge in global cocoa prices.
The current rainfall pattern follows a strengthening El Niño weather phenomenon. During the 2023/24 season, West Africa experienced extreme weather swings, with unusually heavy rainfall followed by intense heat and dry Harmattan winds.
Poor harvests in Ghana and neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire, which together account for about half of global cocoa production, contributed to cocoa prices tripling in 2024.
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The Ghana Meteorological Agency warned last month that the country should expect heavier and more frequent rains during the peak of the rainy season.
“The rains have really disturbed us. Not a single cocoa pod can be found in my farm,” said Kwame Alex, a cocoa farmer with 14 years of experience.
“Next season’s production will drop drastically. All the cocoa-growing districts are facing the same challenge,” he added.
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Farmers said the persistent rainfall has also made basic farm activities difficult, including pollination, which is critical for pod development.
“We cannot do pollination now. Before the three days needed for it to firm up, the rains come and everything falls away,” said Salomey Saah, a farmer in Tano district in Ghana’s central-western region.
The wet conditions have also increased the spread of black pod disease, a fungal infection that can significantly reduce cocoa yields.
Theophilus Tamakloe, a farmer in Assin North, said some farmers were struggling to access fungicides needed to control the disease.
“If COCOBOD does not immediately approve the release of fungicides, the disease will spread and we may lose a chunk of next season’s production,” said Tamakloe, who is vice president of a national farmers’ association.
A Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) official said spraying of fungicides began across all 70 cocoa-growing districts from June 3, but cautioned that widespread spraying should be based on local disease risks rather than a uniform approach.
Ghana’s cocoa industry has faced repeated production challenges in recent years due to disease outbreaks, adverse weather and illegal mining activities that have affected farmland.
COCOBOD set a production target of 650,000 metric tonnes for the 2025/26 season, running through September, and its chief executive said in May that the country had already achieved that target.
However, farmers fear the outlook for the following season could worsen if the rains continue.
Cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire have also expressed concerns that above-average rainfall and cloudy conditions could increase flooding and disease risks during the final stage of their mid-crop season.
Meanwhile, rising production from countries such as Ecuador has added pressure on Ghana’s position in global cocoa rankings, with farmers warning that another poor harvest could accelerate shifts in the industry.
