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 in Ivory Coast and Ghana. “Ecuador’s production has shown steady growth for years. Ghana’s production has been volatile,” Ontaneda said. 

A recent Reuters poll forecast Ghana’s cocoa output at just 600,000 tons for 2025/26 as the country battles illegal gold mining on cocoa farms and struggles to curb the spread of swollen shoot disease. 

Cocoa in Ecuador is grown using agroforestry systems that combine cocoa with shade trees, plantains, coffee, and fruit trees, promoting biodiversity and reducing disease risk.  

Ecuadorian farms are currently yielding an average of 800 kilograms per hectare, significantly higher than the just under 500 kilograms per hectare recorded in West African countries. 

Ecuador produced over 570,000 tons of cocoa in the 2024/25 season and expects to reach 800,000 tons by the end of the decade, underscoring its rising status in the global chocolate supply chain. 

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