Government has directed that a minimum of 50% of all cocoa beans should be processed locally, starting from the 2026-2027 crop season, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has announced.

Dr Ato Forson disclosed this at a press briefing on Thursday, February 12, following an emergency Cabinet meeting held the previous day to address the crisis in the cocoa sector.

The finance minister revealed that Cabinet has also ordered the immediate revival of two key state-owned enterprises—the Produce Buying Company (PBC) and the Cocoa Processing Company (CPC).

"State-owned produce buying company PBC will be revived to resume full operations and become the leading licence buying company in the cocoa sector with immediate effect," Dr Ato Forson stated.

The revival of PBC comes at a critical time when Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) are owed about GH¢2.04 billion by COCOBOD, with some farmers going unpaid since November 2025.

Cabinet has also directed that the remainder of the cocoa beans for the current 2025-2026 crop year should be allocated for domestic processing.

This directive takes effect immediately and represents the government's commitment to value addition and job creation in the cocoa sector.