{
  "id": 2600815,
  "title": "Cocoa Marketing Company rolls out 24-hour cocoa operations to speed up exports and cut delays",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/cocoa-marketing-company-rolls-out-24-hour-cocoa-operations-to-speed",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-22T15:19:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Joy Business",
    "slug": "joy-business",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/cocoa-marketing-company-rolls-out-24-hour-cocoa-operations-to-speed-up-exports-and-cut-delays/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) has begun operating its facilities around the clock, aiming to expedite exports, minimize delays, and enhance competitiveness in Ghana's cocoa export chain. This new model centers on three commitments: Offload 24, Load 24, and Export 24. The Offload 24 component allows cocoa from licensed buying companies to be received continually, while Load 24 ensures a steady supply of cocoa to local processing factories. Under Export 24, inspection, sealing, documentation, and shipment preparations continue beyond regular working hours.\n\nCMC Managing Director Wisdom Dogbey explained that despite existing 24/7 operations at ports, customs, shipping lines, and hauliers, closures at CMC's warehouses and terminals caused bottlenecks. Operating continuously would alleviate congestion, improve turnaround times, optimize infrastructure use, and fast-track exports via multiple shifts. The company has outlined necessary upgrades, such as lighting, surveillance, health, transport, drainage, and security measures, to ensure night operations' safety. By implementing this initiative, CMC anticipates job creation in cocoa-producing and port communities.\n\nGhana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) CEO Dr. Randy Abbey highlighted that a 24-hour export model would reduce vessel waiting times and demurrage, ease congestion, and boost handling capacity by operating across three shifts. Accelerated cocoa movement would decrease humidity exposure and handling risks, leading to quicker issuance of takeover receipts and prompt payment to Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs), thereby benefiting cocoa farmers. The expansion would initiate at high-volume facilities in Tema and Takoradi, with efficiency gains evaluated against night operation costs. Dr. Abbey emphasized the necessity for other COCOBOD units, including the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, to adopt the same schedule to prevent bottlenecks from transferring to other export chain sections.\n\nDr. Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, COCOBOD Board Chairman, provided a practical example of delays by describing trucks waiting to unload significant cocoa volumes ready for shipment, only to be halted due to 5 pm closures. He questioned this practice, advocating for the COCOBOD trading room to function 24/7 to cater to buyers in markets like Japan, China, Dubai, and the United States. Augustus Tanoh, Presidential Advisor for the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, stated that a feasibility study conducted by experts found the new operating model to be operationally and commercially sound. He linked the initiative to broader reforms in the cocoa sector, such as the new COCOBOD law, which guarantees farmers a minimum of 70% of the gross free-on-board value of cocoa and aims to process at least half of Ghana's cocoa crop locally from the 2026/27 season. Tema East MP Isaac Ashai Odamtten urged staff to maintain discipline to sustain the initiative's benefits, emphasizing the creation of more employment opportunities in Tema.",
  "summary": "The Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) has commenced 24-hour operations at its cocoa takeover and export facilities as part of efforts to reduce delays, improve turnaround times and make Ghana’s cocoa export chain more competitive. The new operating model is built around three commitments: Offload 24, Load 24 and Export 24. Speaking at the launch in […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Cocoa Marketing Company rolls out 24-hour cocoa operations to speed up exports and cut delays",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/cocoa-marketing-company-rolls-out-24-hour-cocoa-operations-to-speed-2603064",
        "published": "2026-08-22T15:19:22.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}