Accra: The Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) Ghana Limited has successfully secured firm offtake commitments for Ghana's semi-finished cocoa products across the Gulf nations of the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This strategic move is expected to enhance the commercial footing of the country's initiative towards domestic value addition under President John Dramani Mahama's mandate of 50 percent local processing.
According to Ghana News Agency, the commitments were secured by Dr. Wisdom Kofi Dogbey, the Managing Director of CMC, during a series of engagements with leading Gulf commodities institutions and processing bodies. The goal was to guarantee demand for cocoa liquor, butter, cake, and powder produced from Ghana's existing and currently underutilized grinding capacity. By locking in buyers before ramping up output, CMC aims to ensure that higher domestic grindings translate into secured export earnings rather than unsold stock.
In Dubai, Dr. Dogbey engaged with the leadership of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre's (DMCC) coffee and tea membership, which operates a fully integrated model of sourcing raw materials directly from producers and converting them into finished consumer goods. A dedicated DMCC cocoa membership is expected to commence, using discussions as a template for integrating Ghana's cocoa into similar regional value chains.
Mr. Ahmad Hamza, a senior DMCC executive, described the expansion into the UAE as beneficial for both parties. He emphasized DMCC's ecosystem as supportive of seamless operations for members, citing successful examples from the coffee and tea sectors. Replicating this structure for cocoa is anticipated to boost exports of Ghanaian cocoa derivatives to DMCC's cocoa members, directly connecting Ghana's semi-finished products with an established base of processors and traders.
In Riyadh, further engagements resulted in commitments to import Ghanaian cocoa into Saudi Arabia, aligning with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 food-sustainability goals. This strategic alignment provides Ghana with a long-term buyer for its semi-finished products. The expanding confectionery and food-processing sectors in Saudi Arabia make it an increasingly significant destination for value-added cocoa, aiding Ghana in capturing more of the value chain.
Officials clarified that the value-addition mandate does not require building new factories but rather aims to utilize existing processing capacity that currently runs underutilized. Guaranteed offtake for the resulting products is intended to increase domestic conversion without the risk of producing unmarketable volumes.
As the sole authorized exporter of Ghana's cocoa, CMC's role is evolving under Dr. Dogbey's leadership from marketing raw beans to forming commercial partnerships that ensure expanded grindings are met with real demand. The Gulf commitments mark a significant step in this transition and signal confidence in Ghana's value-addition agenda from two of the world's fastest-growing markets.