Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer after Côte d’Ivoire, still exports a significant share of its cocoa production in raw form. However, as part of its industrialization strategy, Accra is increasingly focusing on local processing to capture more value from its cocoa sector.
Ghana is seeking to expand its exports of processed cocoa products by targeting new markets in the Middle East. In a statement published on its website on July 7, the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) Ghana Limited announced that it had secured firm purchase commitments from buyers in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for Ghanaian semi-finished cocoa products, including cocoa paste, cocoa butter, cocoa cake and cocoa powder.
“These efforts mark an important step in CMC’s strategy to diversify markets for Ghanaian cocoa, increase the use of domestic processing capacity and ensure that value addition is driven by real and sustainable global demand,” the company stated.
This commercial expansion comes as cocoa processing continues to gain momentum in Ghana’s export sector. In 2025, exports of cocoa derivatives, including cocoa paste, butter, powder and cake, generated US$1.8 billion in revenue, representing a 90% increase year-on-year, according to data from the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA).
The opening of new markets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is expected to further support export growth in the coming years. Over time, these opportunities could help Ghana capture a larger share of value in the global cocoa value chain, which remains largely dominated by raw cocoa bean exports. According to official data, more than 60% of Ghana’s annual cocoa harvest is still exported in raw form.
Securing demand to maximize local processing capacity
Ghana already has a significant industrial base for cocoa processing, but much of this capacity remains underutilized. Data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicate that Ghanaian processors handled an average of approximately 220,000 tonnes of cocoa beans annually between 2023 and 2025, while installed processing capacity was estimated at nearly 505,000 tonnes in 2025.
This underutilization is mainly due to challenges in securing sufficient cocoa beans for local processors. By developing new export markets, the CMC aims to strengthen commercial visibility for processed cocoa products and encourage greater use of existing processing facilities.
The issue is particularly strategic as Ghana has set a target of allocating at least 50% of national cocoa bean production to local processing from the 2026/2027 cocoa season onward.