Ecuador poised to overtake Ghana as world’s second largest cocoa producer in 2025/26

ECUADOR – Ecuador is set to produce more than 650,000 metric tons of cocoa in the 2025/26 season, positioning the country to overtake Ghana as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, according to the chairman of the nation’s cocoa exporters association. Ivan Ontaneda of Anecacao told Reuters that soaring global cocoa prices have prompted farmers, supported by both public and private sectors, to increase investments in their plantations and improve yields. Cocoa prices more than doubled last year to record highs above US$12,000 per ton after poor harvests and widespread disease in West African producers Ivory Coast and Ghana, which together supply about half of the world’s cocoa. Increased production in South America, led by Ecuador, has helped fill the supply gap, pushing prices down by about one-third this year, though they remain historically high. Ecuadorian farmers currently receive around 90% of the world cocoa price, compared to about 60–70% received by their counterparts ...