ECUADOR SET TO OVERTAKE GHANA AS WORLD’S SECOND LARGEST COCOA PRODUCER

Ecuador is on course to produce more than 650,000 metric tons of cocoa in the 2026/27 season, a development that could see the South American nation surpass Ghana as the world’s second largest cocoa grower.

The projection was announced by Iván Ontaneda, chairman of Anecacao, Ecuador’s cocoa exporters’ association, who said investments and higher global cocoa prices have boosted the country’s output. “We are confident Ecuador will reach over 650,000 metric tons in the coming season,” he told Reuters.

Currently, Ghana is expected to produce about 600,000 metric tons in the 2025/26 crop year. The West African country has been grappling with challenges such as swollen shoot disease, land loss from illegal gold mining, and reduced yields, which average below 500 kilograms per hectare.

In contrast, Ecuadorian farmers are achieving yields of around 800 kilograms per hectare. They also earn up to 90 percent of the global market price for their beans, compared to 60 -70 percent received by farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast. The country’s agroforestry methods, cultivating cocoa alongside plantains, fruit trees and shade crops, have further strengthened its production.

The global cocoa market has seen prices more than double in the past year, driven largely by poor harvests in West Africa. Though prices have eased slightly, they remain at historic highs, encouraging expansion in Ecuador.

If Ecuador’s forecast is met, the country will move into second place behind Ivory Coast, reshaping the global cocoa industry that has long been dominated by West African producers.