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Ecuador on track 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 country overtake Ghana as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer.

According to Iván Ontaneda, chairman of Ecuador’s cocoa exporters’ association (Anecacao), the country’s output has been growing steadily, supported by heavy investments from both the public and private sectors as farmers take advantage of soaring world cocoa prices.

“Ecuador’s production has shown steady growth for years. Ghana’s production has been volatile,” Ontaneda told Reuters.

Global cocoa prices more than doubled last year, reaching record highs above $12,000 per ton after poor harvests and widespread disease hit Ghana and Ivory Coast, which together produce about half of the world’s cocoa.

Although prices have since dropped by about a third, they remain historically high, creating incentives for farmers in Ecuador to expand cultivation and boost yields. Farmers there currently receive around 90% of the world market price, while producers in Ghana and Ivory Coast get only 60-70%.

Industry data shows Ecuadorian cocoa farms yield an average of 800 kilograms per hectare, compared with just under 500 kilograms per hectare in Ghana and other West African countries. Ontaneda projects Ecuador will produce more than 570,000 tons in 2025/26, and could reach 800,000 tons by the end of the decade.

Ghana, however, is forecast to produce about 600,000 tons in the 2025/26 season, according to a recent Reuters poll. The country’s cocoa sector is struggling with challenges including illegal gold mining on cocoa farms and the rapid spread of cocoa swollen shoot virus disease.

Unlike the monoculture farming systems prevalent in West Africa, Ecuador’s cocoa is grown in agroforestry systems that combine cocoa with shade trees, plantain, coffee, and fruit trees. These systems not only enhance biodiversity but also help prevent the spread of diseases.

If current trends continue, Ecuador could firmly establish itself ahead of Ghana in the global cocoa rankings, with only Ivory Coast maintaining its lead as the world’s largest producer.

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