Ghana's PBC secures GH₵30M facility to pay cocoa farmers

What's the deal? The Produce Buying Company (PBC), one of Ghana's major licensed cocoa buyers, has secured a financing facility backed by GH₵30 million in credited cocoa stock. The money will be used to pay farmers promptly amid a liquidity crunch across the country's cocoa sector.

The facility was announced alongside a new memorandum of understanding between PBC and the Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association (GNACOFA). Thomas Ayisi, PBC's deputy managing director in charge of finance, said the deal is "proof that PBC is not merely surviving but actively restructuring."

Why now? Several licensed buying companies in Ghana are struggling with severe cash constraints and delayed payments to farmers, shaking confidence across the cocoa supply chain. PBC itself has faced years of financial difficulties.

"We distinguish ourselves from competitors who still owe," Ayisi said. "This act restores credibility and rebuilds trust at the grassroots, which is the very foundation of our sector."

What could go wrong? The cocoa sector faces threats beyond financing. GNACOFA's national president, Stephenson Anane Boateng, pointed to smuggling and illegal mining as persistent challenges that undermine farmer welfare and supply chain stability.

If broader liquidity problems across the sector persist, a single GH₵30 million facility may prove insufficient to address the structural issues weighing on farmer incomes.

The signal: Ghana's cocoa industry — a pillar of the national economy — is under financial stress, and buying companies are being forced to find creative financing arrangements to keep farmers paid. The PBC-GNACOFA partnership reflects a wider push to stabilise farmer incomes and rebuild institutional trust in a sector where delayed payments have eroded confidence. Whether this model can scale across the industry remains an open question.

Read more: myjoyonline.com