According to the board, the practice threatens the livelihoods of local farmers and risks damaging Ghana’s long-standing reputation for producing high-quality cocoa.
The Director of Special Services at COCOBOD, Jake Kudjo Semahar, disclosed that the activity has been detected in four regions along the Ghana–Côte d’Ivoire border.
He explained that the situation marks a reversal of earlier trends, where cocoa was typically smuggled out of Ghana into neighbouring countries.
The current pattern, he noted, is largely driven by price disparities between the two countries, with cocoa selling at lower rates in Côte d’Ivoire compared to Ghana’s higher farmgate price.
Semahar suggested that some actors within the cocoa purchasing chain may be exploiting this price gap for personal benefit, leading to the circulation of illegally sourced beans within Ghana’s supply system.
The Licensed Cocoa Buyers Association of Ghana has distanced itself from the allegations, maintaining that such activities are not sanctioned by member companies.
Its General Secretary indicated that any involvement is likely the work of individual purchasing clerks acting outside official procedures for personal gain.
He also pointed to past disruptions in the sector, noting that similar challenges had previously resulted in financial losses for licensed buying companies during earlier cocoa seasons.
The development comes at a time when Ghana’s cocoa industry is already facing financial strain, including concerns over delayed payments to farmers.
COCOBOD warned that the continued mixing of smuggled beans with locally produced cocoa could distort the supply chain and weaken Ghana’s premium standing on the international market.
As part of enforcement efforts, COCOBOD’s anti-smuggling task force recently arrested suspects and seized more than 100 bags of cocoa believed to have been smuggled in the Dormaa West District.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing, with assurances that sanctions will be imposed if any companies are found to be directly involved.