A farmer in Ghana’s northern savanna grasslands has broken the age-old myth that cocoa, a forested crop, cannot thrive in the arid region.
Cocoa production in the West African country dates back to 1879 in the Eastern Region and later spread to other regions in Ghana’s southern forest zone—namely Ashanti, Western, Brong Ahafo, Volta, and Central.
The vast expanse of Ghana’s territory, covering the northern regions, was, however, excluded from the cocoa invasion, as agronomy experts have maintained that cocoa, Ghana’s largest agricultural export, cannot thrive in the savannah conditions of northern Ghana.
However, that long-standing belief is now being challenged by a groundbreaking discovery at Salnaayili, a community in the Nanumba North Municipality in the Northern Region, where cocoa trees are flourishing in the open savannah landscape.
The sight of the plantation alone is enough to dispel the long-held doubts about the crop’s survival and viability.
The breakthrough is credited to Mohammed Yinchala, a farmer who began cocoa cultivation in 2012 on a small experimental plot.
Encouraged by early success, he gradually expanded the farm to four acres.
However, the journey encountered a setback when two and a half acres were razed by wildfire, leaving only one and a half acres remaining, which currently yields an average of four standard 64-kg bags per harvest.
Experiment
Sharing his experience, Yinchala said he started his savanna cocoa farm as an experiment in 2012 to see if cocoa could thrive in the north.
He said, “Gradually, I expanded it to four acres. But, unfortunately, a wildfire destroyed two and a half acres. Now, the remaining one and a half acres are doing very well, and we are already harvesting about four bags each season.”
Yinchala harvested 3 bags of cocoa during the 2024/2025 crop season and is optimistic about an increase in the ongoing 2025/2026 cocoa crop season.
Encouraged by his success and experience, Ghana’s cocoa star in the North believed cocoa production could be commercialised in the country’s savanna enclave if given the right resources and investment attention.
On the challenges, the farmer indicated that he often struggled with limited technical knowledge, especially on cocoa farming agronomic practices, and a lack of modern farm implements, making manual work laborious and slow.
Assessing the Savanna Cocoa
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), whose attention has been drawn to the breakthrough, last month dispatched a fact-finding delegation led by the deputy Chief Executive responsible for agronomy and quality control, Dr Francis Baah, to visit the plantation to assess its viability for commercial cocoa production last Saturday.
The team further revealed that the Chief Executive of OCOBOD, Dr Randy Abbey, had pledged to provide the farmer with a motorbike and build a house for him on the farm to support expansion.
Dr Baah hinted at plans by COCOBOD to deploy experts to study the soil, topography, and climatic suitability for large-scale cultivation.
He said COCOBOD viewed this as a major discovery and would do everything possible to support farmers to commercialise the cash crop in the area.
“We are very amazed by your discovery,” said Dr Baah, adding, “You [Yinchala] are the Tetteh Quarshie of our time. For years, we believed cocoa could not survive here, but today you have rewritten history. We will support you and help others who are ready to venture into cocoa cultivation.”
He assured that COCOBOD will deploy extension officers to support Yinchala with key Productivity Enhancement Programmes (PEPs) and Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs) to boost production and ensure farm sustainability.
Honouring the Star of Northern Cocoa
As a gesture of motivation, the Cocobod delegation presented Mohammed Yinchala with some cocoa products, agrochemicals, and an undisclosed sum of money.
Dr Baah indicated that the cocoa regulatory body intended to honour Yinchala at the forthcoming National Farmers’ Day celebration for his hard work, resilience, and pioneering contribution to northern cocoa cultivation.
The Regent of the Nanung Traditional Area, Nyelinboligu Naa Yakubu Andani Dasana, welcomed Cocobod’s decision to assess the area for commercial production, declaring the area open for business.
He noted that the land was fertile and available in large tracts to support massive investment in cocoa cultivation should the project move into full-scale development.
The Northern Ghana cocoa project, if vigorously pursued, could become a key to buoying up Ghana in its position as the world’s second-largest producer of cocoa beans.
A steep decline in production in Ghana in the last couple of years gave rise to speculations that Ecuador could knock the West African cocoa giant from its perch.
Ripple Effect
In a ripple effect, Mr Yinchala’s achievement has motivated neighbouring farmers. Just beside his plantation, another farmer, Abdul-Rahaman Alhassan, has already established a five-acre cocoa field.
Although planted barely two years ago, the young cocoa plants are showing strong growth and early signs of promise.
The natural environment of the area, at Jahinfo Ya near Bimbilla in the Northern Region, appears equally supportive, according to reporting by Ghana’s GraphicOnline.
The farm lies within dense vegetation with tall canopy trees, and the soil remains moist even during the dry season due to its proximity to the Oti River, providing favourable agroecological conditions for the cash crop.
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