The Mahama government has stated it would maintain the use of syndicated loans to finance cocoa purchases for the upcoming season, even as it works with the leadership of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to explore more sustainable financing options for the sector. Traditionally, Ghana has relied on syndicated loans from international banks to pre-finance cocoa purchases at the start of the season — a model that has supported production and sustained the livelihoods of cocoa farmers across the country. Addressing the press after announcing the new producer price for cocoa on August 4, the Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, said that although there is growing concern about the long-term viability of relying on syndicated loans, the same arrangement used in 2024 will remain in place for the upcoming crop season. “Nothing has changed, we will continue financing cocoa in the same way as it was financed in the last crop season [2024]. We’ll finance it as we financed the immediate past crop season,” he said. The Government of Ghana, on August 4, announced a major increase in the producer price of cocoa for the 2025/2026 season, raising it from US$3,100 to US$5,040 per tonne — a 62.58% increase in dollar terms.