The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced a new Tertiary Education Scholarship Scheme targeted at children of cocoa farmers.
The initiative, introduced by President John Dramani Mahama, aims to ease the financial burden on farming families and promote access to higher education.
According to the minister, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) will begin developing guidelines for implementation during the 2025/2026 cocoa season, with the programme set to officially commence in the 2026/2027 academic year.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Dr. Forson highlighted the broader vision behind the programme as part of government’s commitment to supporting rural communities and strengthening the educational future of children from agricultural households.
The scheme will be the first of its kind in Ghana, tailored specifically to reward the contributions of cocoa farmers by investing in the academic aspirations of their children.
In addition to the scholarship initiative, the Finance Minister announced the reintroduction of the free cocoa fertiliser programme beginning in the 2025/2026 crop year.
Under this programme, farmers will receive free fertilisers — both liquid and granular — as well as insecticides, spraying machines, fungicides, and flower inducers. Government has urged cocoa farmers to use these inputs responsibly to improve their yield and income levels.
