Ashanti cocoa farmers welcome new COCOBOD Act

Cocoa farmers and traditional leaders in Ghana's Ashanti Region have welcomed the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 2026 (Act 1182), despite their initial hopes for a higher producer price. Engagements organized by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) across seven cocoa-growing districts aimed to discuss the law, producer price determination process, and interventions to boost productivity.

While some participants expected a higher price, they appreciated the explanations provided on the factors behind the announced price. Both farmers and leaders emphasized the significance of continued dialogue to foster mutual understanding of policy decisions and industry realities. Participants welcomed the reforms introduced under the new act and called for public education to deepen farmers' understanding, especially provisions that safeguard cocoa-growing communities and farmlands from destructive activities.

They urged stakeholders to support the depoliticization of cocoa-related issues and called for improvements in free agricultural input distribution, implementation of the Farmer Pension Scheme, and transparency in the cocoa tertiary education scholarship scheme. Deputy Head of Public Affairs, Mr Benjamin Larweh, highlighted COCOBOD's commitment to open communication and stakeholder participation.

The Ashanti Regional Manager of CHED, Mr Isaac Adu, announced further engagements on fertiliser distribution and the mass spraying exercise under the Cocoa Diseases and Pests Control Programme (CODAPEC). This marks the first stage of a nationwide engagement program to connect COCOBOD's policies and interventions with cocoa farmers and industry stakeholders.