Clause 81 of Cocoa Board Bill infringes on farmers’ property rights – NPP

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has expressed concerns that Clause 81 of the recently passed Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, infringes upon the property rights of farmers and landowners. Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku, Chairman of the NPP Policy Committee on Agriculture, stated that the provision places excessive restrictions on landowners' ability to determine how their property should be utilized.

The clause seeks to prevent the conversion or destruction of cocoa farms for any purpose other than cocoa cultivation without prior authorization, effectively granting protected status to cocoa farms and restricting landowners from converting their plantations to alternative uses without approval. Dr Opoku questioned the rationale behind imposing such restrictions on farmers and landowners who have invested their resources in acquiring and developing their properties.

He expressed concern that the provision could expose cocoa farmers to harassment, arbitrary arrests, and extortion if enacted in its current form. The NPP argues that while measures may be necessary to protect Ghana's cocoa industry, the legislation should not disproportionately restrict the rights of farmers and landowners. They have called for further scrutiny and broader stakeholder consultation on the bill before it receives presidential assent.