COCOBOD CEO dismisses claims over new Cocoa Bill, says reforms will protect farms and improve sector
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, describing such assertions as deliberate misinformation about the proposed legislation.
Dr Randy Abbey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has refuted claims that the upcoming Cocoa Board Bill 2026 will hinder cocoa farmers from intercropping. Dr. Abbey described such allegations as false information about the proposed law. The Bill aims to address long-standing issues in the cocoa sector, such as damaged cocoa farms, funding problems, weak financial controls, insufficient local processing, and low farmer profitability.
It will grant cocoa farms more protection by mandating authorization before cocoa trees can be harmed, except in cases of approved rehabilitation programs. This is necessary as cocoa farms are being depleted due to activities like illegal mining, logging, and real estate development. Each week, Dr. Abbey receives complaints from farmers whose farms are being destroyed for various reasons.
The proposed restrictions should not be seen as a ban on intercropping but as a means to protect cocoa trees and farms from destruction, not to restrict approved farming practices. Dr. Abbey criticized certain individuals and groups for spreading misleading information about the Bill, saying it could undermine the reforms aimed at strengthening the industry.
The legislation will also implement stricter financial controls at COCOBOD, ensuring adherence to the Public Financial Management Act to avoid decisions that could expose the cocoa sector to high financial risks. Additionally, the Bill introduces a new cocoa pricing framework where farmers will receive 70% of the gross free-on-board value of cocoa, with producer prices subject to review based on international market indicators.
This arrangement aims to benefit farmers when global cocoa prices rise while minimizing financial losses when prices decline. Dr. Abbey emphasized that this is the most substantial overhaul of Ghana's cocoa industry since the 1984 law, intended to enhance sector financial sustainability, improve farmer welfare, promote domestic processing, and drive the industrialization of the cocoa value chain.
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