• Government targets expansion from current plantation area by 2028
• Ghana produced 544,773 tons of coconuts in 2024, about 24% of Africa’s output
• Expansion aims to lift coconut export revenues by 60%

Ghana plans to expand the area dedicated to coconut farming to 180,000 hectares by 2028, double the size of the country’s current plantations, according to Peter Boamah Otokunor, Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness.

The announcement was made on February 6 and reported by local media. Ghana is already Africa’s leading coconut producer, and the expansion, if achieved, would further strengthen its position in the regional value chain.

Data compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization show that Ghana’s coconut production reached 544,773 tons in 2024, a record level that accounted for nearly 24% of Africa’s total output of 2.3 million tons that year.

A development plan launched in 2025

The expansion strategy is anchored in the Coconut Value Chain Development Initiative, launched in September 2025. The program is financed by the Ghana Export-Import Bank and aims to distribute nearly 11 million high-yield, disease-resistant coconut seedlings to farmers across 11 producing regions by 2028.

Official data show that 3 million seedlings were already distributed to producers in 2025. The plants are expected to achieve a survival rate of about 90% and allow farmers to begin harvesting within three years.

The program also includes training sessions to provide farmers with essential technical guidance on best agronomic practices. According to local media, the first session was held on February 6 in Kumasi and brought together 500 coconut farmers and agricultural extension officers from the Ashanti and Western North regions.

Strengthening the production base is also expected to improve export performance. Authorities said the expansion of coconut plantations should increase revenues from coconut and coconut-based product exports by 60%, to $18.1 million per year over the longer term, compared with $11.4 million in 2024.

Stéphanas Assocle