The Cocoa Marketing Company Ghana Limited, CMC, has introduced a comprehensive 24 hour operational framework designed to accelerate the movement of cocoa from collection points through processing facilities and ultimately into international markets, marking a significant operational shift within Ghana’s cocoa industry.
The programme, spearheaded by CMC Managing Director Dr Wisdom Kofi Dogbey, centres on three interconnected components known as Offload 24, Load 24 and Export 24, and forms part of the company’s contribution to President John Dramani Mahama’s 24 Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme. The initiative was launched with the participation of major institutions and commercial actors across the cocoa supply chain.
Representatives from the government, Ghana Cocoa Board, Licensed Buying Companies, cocoa processing firms, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Meridian Port Services, the Ghana Revenue Authority, shipping companies, transport operators, international cocoa purchasers and the Quality Control Company were among those involved in the launch.
According to Dr Dogbey, the new framework represents a substantial transformation in the way CMC manages cocoa logistics, warehousing, processing support and export preparation. He explained that CMC takeover facilities in Tema, Kumasi and Takoradi have traditionally operated within conventional daytime schedules, a situation that could create delays whenever trucks arrived later in the day or when documentation and related procedures extended beyond normal working hours.
He argued that Ghana’s cocoa sector must operate in a manner that corresponds with the demands of international commerce, particularly because global shipping and trading activities do not necessarily conform to traditional office schedules. With the beginning of the new cocoa season, CMC therefore intends to maintain critical sections of the cocoa logistics chain beyond conventional operating periods.
The Offload 24 component will allow CMC to receive cocoa from Licensed Buying Companies throughout the day and night, with the objective of reducing truck queues, limiting waiting periods and easing congestion at takeover facilities. The Load 24 component will enable cocoa to be supplied to domestic processing companies beyond normal operating hours, thereby giving processors greater flexibility to utilise their installed production capacity.
The Export 24 component will extend activities associated with cocoa inspection, container stuffing, sealing, documentation and shipment preparation so that these processes can correspond more effectively with vessel timetables and port operations. CMC believes the combined approach can remove delays that occur when one part of the cocoa logistics chain closes while other sections remain operational.
Dr Dogbey stressed that the 24 Hour Economy should not be interpreted as an instruction for individual workers to remain on duty continuously for an entire day. Rather, he said, the model is based on the organisation of productive activities through multiple shifts, allowing infrastructure, employees and other productive resources to continue generating economic value beyond the traditional working day.
For CMC, the restructuring is intended to establish stronger coordination between warehouses, transport operators, processing companies, ports, shipping lines and international markets. The company expects the arrangement to improve the movement of cocoa, strengthen domestic processing and create a more responsive export system capable of adapting to international shipping schedules.
The Managing Director described the initiative as an effort to address persistent weaknesses within the cocoa logistics chain, particularly where operational delays have affected the movement of commodities from one stage to another. He maintained that the effectiveness of an integrated supply chain depends on every major component functioning efficiently, adding that CMC was determined to remove operational restrictions within its area of responsibility.
The company plans to assess the performance of the programme through several operational measurements, including the amount of time required for trucks to complete their turnaround, the volume of cocoa handled, the efficiency of documentation procedures, shipment performance, workplace safety, product quality and overall operational effectiveness.
Dr Dogbey subsequently encouraged Licensed Buying Companies to take advantage of evening delivery periods so that cocoa would not accumulate unnecessarily at collection points. He similarly called on processing companies to arrange transportation schedules that extend beyond daylight hours, thereby allowing the new operating framework to function as intended.
Shipping companies were also urged to provide gate entry periods that correspond with CMC’s expanded schedule. At the same time, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, security institutions and other relevant partners were asked to coordinate their activities with the new system so that extended operations at CMC facilities are matched by corresponding support elsewhere within the logistics network.
CMC employees, meanwhile, were encouraged to embrace stronger discipline, closer collaboration, faster responsiveness and a renewed operational culture as the organisation transitions towards continuous activity. The company has indicated that expanded working hours will be accompanied by measures relating to infrastructure, security, surveillance, health facilities, staff preparation and other safeguards necessary to sustain the programme without compromising safety or cocoa quality.
The anticipated outcome is a shorter interval between the arrival of cocoa at CMC facilities, its subsequent loading, delivery to processors and eventual preparation for international shipment. The company also expects the framework to improve support for domestic cocoa processing while enhancing Ghana’s ability to compete within the international cocoa market.
The initiative also builds upon CMC’s broader efforts to increase domestic value addition and strengthen Ghana’s position within the global cocoa trade. In July 2026, the company announced firm offtake commitments in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for Ghanaian semi finished cocoa products, including cocoa liquor, butter, cake and powder, as part of efforts to secure markets for increased domestic processing.
Dr Dogbey commended the implementation committee, chaired by CMC Deputy Managing Director responsible for Operations Jamal Konneh, together with the company’s Board, management and workforce, as well as the leadership of COCOBOD, for their contribution towards putting the new operational structure into effect.
He said the initiative demonstrated Ghana’s determination to increase productivity, accelerate exports and compete more effectively in the international marketplace. He further reaffirmed CMC’s commitment to receiving cocoa when it arrives, supplying domestic processors when required and preparing export consignments according to vessel schedules while preserving the quality and international reputation of Ghanaian cocoa.
The launch of Offload 24, Load 24 and Export 24 therefore represents a new operational chapter for the Cocoa Marketing Company as it seeks to remove logistical bottlenecks, improve the utilisation of productive assets and create a more integrated cocoa movement system.
The broader objective is to ensure that cocoa does not remain unnecessarily stationary because of conventional working schedules. By extending critical operations through multiple shifts, CMC aims to connect Ghana’s cocoa supply chain more effectively with domestic factories, port infrastructure, shipping networks and international buyers.
The success of the initiative, however, will depend not only on CMC’s internal arrangements but also on the ability of the numerous institutions and commercial partners within the cocoa supply chain to coordinate their schedules and capacities.
As Ghana advances its 24 Hour Economy agenda, CMC’s new framework places the cocoa industry at the centre of efforts to increase productivity and accelerate export activity. The company’s stated ambition is to create a logistics system that responds more quickly to cocoa arrivals, supports domestic processing more efficiently and prepares export shipments in closer alignment with international shipping requirements.
The move consequently positions Offload 24, Load 24 and Export 24 as more than an adjustment to working hours. They represent an attempt to restructure the operational rhythm of Ghana’s cocoa export chain so that productive activity can continue beyond conventional daytime schedules while maintaining the quality, safety and commercial standards expected of Ghana’s cocoa industry.
