Ghana’s cocoa is cultivated in the Eastern, Ashanti, Bono, Ahafo, Bono East, Volta, Central, and Western Regions. There are about 850,000 farm families involved in cocoa farming activities with the crop generating about $2 billion in foreign exchange annually and a major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Annual regional cocoa purchases made by COCOBOD in the 2019/20 crop year was 766,977 metric tonnes. Let’s get to know our top 5 cocoa growing regions, who continuously contribute immensely to the growing cocoa industry.
WESTERN REGION
COCOBOD was able to make 332,647 metric tonnes of regional cocoa purchases in the 2019/20 crop year from the region. This cocoa growing district region has the highest rainfall and fertile soils. It is perfect for cocoa production in Ghana. According to Ghana Cocoa Board’s (COCOBOD), annual regional cocoa purchases report, Western region was the leading producer of cocoa in the 2019/20 crop year. Cocoa plants respond well to plentiful rainfall through the year and this is an advantage to the region.
ASHANTI REGION
This region was able to produce 165,830 metric tonnes for the regional cocoa purchase making it the second most productive region in the 2019/20 crop year. The Ashanti area is gifted with rich arable land that produces rich cocoa. The region is part of the country’s forested areas where rainfall is 1,000-1,500 millimeters per year. This creates an ideal climatic condition for growing cocoa.
EASTERN REGION
The Eastern region experiences a substantial amount of rainfall and is referred to as the birthplace of cocoa. In the regional cocoa purchases, the home of cocoa was able to produce 89,131 metric tonnes during the 2019/20 crop year. The region has major cocoa sites and often attracts tourists to their farms. This historical village and town, has preserved the original farm Tetteh Quarshie introduced cocoa crops to Ghana in Mampong.
CENTRAL REGION
This region has a bi-modal rainfall pattern averaging 800 mm to 1500 mm. The region is well-known for growing several crops. With no regional cocoa purchases made from the region from 1947/48 – 1959/60 crop year. The region made a comeback in the 1960/61 crop year by producing 46,821 metric tonnes for the regional cocoa purchases. Currently, 85, 526 metric tonnes of cocoa, was purchased from the region in the 2019/20 crop year.
BONO, BONO EAST, AHAFO REGION
The region enjoys moderate and high amounts of rainfall which accounts for its large cocoa production. The region is praised as the food hub of the country because of the number of foodstuffs that are produced and transported to other regions. It is also known as one of the main producers of cocoa, with the majority of the population as farmers. Annual regional cocoa purchases from the region in the 2019/20 crop year was 88,460 metric tonnes.
Figures available from Ghana Cocoa Board’s (COCOBOD), 2019/20 annual regional cocoa purchases report showed the Western , Ashanti, Eastern, Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Central regions as the largest producers of cocoa. Many Ghanaians have, in recent times, cultivated the habit of consuming cocoa in the form of chocolates and cocoa powder. In view of this, it’s crucial to know the regions who put in all the hard work and celebrate them.