The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Randy Abbey, has rejected claims that the Cocoa Board Bill 2026 will restrict cocoa farmers from intercropping. He describes such assertions as deliberate misinformation about the proposed legislation.
Protecting Cocoa Farms
The COCOBOD boss said the Bill was developed to tackle persistent challenges within the cocoa sector, including the destruction of cocoa farms, financing constraints, weak financial controls, limited domestic processing, and inadequate returns for farmers. Dr Abbey emphasized that the legislation specifically seeks to give cocoa farms greater protection by requiring authorisation before cocoa trees can be destroyed, uprooted, damaged, or felled, except where such action forms part of an approved rehabilitation programme.
Addressing Concerns
Dr Abbey acknowledged that cocoa farms are increasingly being lost to activities such as illegal mining, logging, and real estate development. He said that every single week, he receives petitions from farmers complaining that their cocoa farms are being destroyed for one activity or the other. The COCOBOD boss stressed that the proposed restrictions should not be interpreted as a ban on farmers growing food crops alongside cocoa.
Financial Controls and Benefits
The proposed legislation also introduces tighter financial controls at COCOBOD, including greater compliance with the Public Financial Management Act, to prevent decisions that could expose the cocoa sector to significant financial risks. Dr Abbey explained that the Bill would introduce a new cocoa pricing framework under which farmers would receive 70% of the gross free-on-board value of cocoa. This arrangement is intended to ensure farmers benefit when global cocoa prices rise while also reducing the risk of financial losses when prices fall.
Reforms and Industrialisation
Dr Abbey described the proposed legislation as the most significant overhaul of Ghana's cocoa industry since the 1984 law. He said the reforms are intended to improve the sector's financial sustainability, strengthen farmer welfare, promote local processing, and drive the industrialisation of the cocoa value chain. The COCOBOD boss accused some individuals and groups of intentionally distorting the contents of the Bill, arguing that such claims could undermine reforms intended to strengthen the industry.
A Call for Clarity
It is unfortunate that some persons or groups have gone on a misinformation and disinformation drive, misinforming stakeholders and the public about what these reforms are about, Dr Abbey said. The COCOBOD boss urged stakeholders to carefully consider the facts and avoid spreading unverified information about the proposed legislation.
Source: Joy Online
