Cocoa Marketing Company Cranks Up 24-Hour Operations to Speed Up Expor

The Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) has launched 24-hour operations at its cocoa takeover and export facilities in Tema and Takoradi. The move aims to reduce delays, improve turnaround times, and make Ghana's cocoa export chain more competitive.

Expanded Operations to Reduce Congestion

The new operating model is built around three commitments: Offload 24, Load 24, and Export 24. Offload 24 allows cocoa from licensed buying companies to be received around the clock, while Load 24 facilitates the continuous supply of cocoa to local processing factories. Under Export 24, inspection, sealing, documentation, and other preparations for shipment would also continue beyond the traditional working day.

CMC Managing Director Wisdom Dogbey said the initiative would help reduce congestion, improve turnaround times, and make better use of the company's infrastructure. "By operating around the clock, we can reduce congestion, improve turnaround times, make better use of our infrastructure, and accelerate export through multiple shifts," he said.

Reducing Vessel Waiting Times

Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Randy Abbey, said the 24-hour model would help reduce vessel waiting times and demurrage, ease congestion, and increase handling capacity. "Quicker movement of cocoa from licensed buying companies to warehouses and vessels would reduce exposure to humidity and handling risks, while faster takeover would lead to quicker issuance of cocoa takeover receipts and ultimately prompt payment to LBCs who pay our farmers," he said.

Dr Abbey also stressed the need for the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, shipping lines, and other COCOBOD units to operate on the same schedule to prevent bottlenecks from simply shifting to other parts of the export chain.

Creating Jobs and Retaining Value

The initiative is also expected to create jobs in cocoa-producing and port communities. Dr Randy Abbey said the expanded operations would create jobs for dock workers, quality control officers, weighbridge operators, security personnel, and logistics workers.

COCOBOD Board Chairman Dr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo provided a practical illustration of the delays the initiative seeks to address. Recounting a recent visit to Takoradi, he said he saw trucks waiting to discharge significant volumes of cocoa beans that were ready for shipment. "When I asked, 'When do you close?' And they said, 'By 5 o'clock, we have closed," he recalled.

Broader Reforms in the Cocoa Sector

The initiative is linked to broader reforms in the cocoa sector, including the new COCOBOD law passed by Parliament on July 30, 2026. The law guarantees farmers no less than 70% of the gross free-on-board value of cocoa. At least half of Ghana's cocoa crop would be processed locally before export from the 2026/27 season, as the government seeks to retain more value from cocoa within the country.

Presidential Advisor for the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, Augustus Tanoh, said a feasibility study conducted by a committee of experts had found the new operating model to be "operationally and commercially sound." He urged stakeholders across the cocoa value chain to support the initiative, which he said would improve speed and productivity without compromising safety or quality.

Sustaining the Gains

Tema East MP Isaac Ashai Odamtten said discipline would be critical to sustaining the gains expected from the initiative. He urged staff to eschew practices that could undermine the programme, noting that expanded operations would also create more employment opportunities in Tema.

Source: JOY