World Bank commits $75m to revive Ghana’s cocoa farms and fight against diseases

Nii Ayitey Brown 15:57 - 25 March 2026

The World Bank commits $75 million to rehabilitate 25,000 hectares of cocoa farms in Ghana, targeting diseased and ageing trees to boost productivity and support farmers.

The World Bank has committed approximately $75 million to rehabilitate Ghana’s cocoa sector, targeting 25,000 hectares of farms affected by disease and declining productivity in a major boost for one of the country’s most critical industries.

The intervention, announced under the West Africa Food Systems Resilience Programme, will focus on restoring ageing and diseased cocoa trees while improving farm management practices.

An initial 5,000 hectares will be rehabilitated as part of the first phase, with work expected to begin immediately. World Bank Agricultural Economist Dr. Ashwini Sebastian described the cocoa component as a key pillar of the programme.

“We are putting in almost 75 million dollars to rehabilitate 25,000 hectares of cocoa farms that have been affected by disease,” she said, at a food security engagement in Accra, according to citinewsroom.

She added that the initiative is backed by grant financing from development partners, including the Norwegian government.

Ghana’s cocoa industry, one of the world’s largest and a major source of foreign exchange, has in recent years faced mounting pressure from swollen shoot disease, ageing plantations, and climate variability.

These challenges have contributed to falling yields and reduced incomes for farmers, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of the sector.

The rehabilitation programme will involve replacing old and unproductive trees with improved, high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties, alongside introducing better agronomic practices to farmers.

Such large-scale interventions are critical to reversing the decline in output and safeguarding Ghana’s position on the global cocoa market. Beyond cocoa rehabilitation, the broader programme is also supporting agricultural diversification and resilience.

This includes trials of improved seed varieties suited for dry-season farming, particularly in northern Ghana, as well as the distribution of cashew seedlings to farmers to create alternative income streams.

The World Bank maintains that strengthening key agricultural value chains like cocoa is essential not only for export earnings but also for rural livelihoods and food system stability across West Africa.

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