COCOBOD CEO dismisses claims over new Cocoa Bill, says reforms will protect farms and improve sector

He described the proposed legislation as the most significant overhaul of Ghana's cocoa industry since the 1984 law, saying 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 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.

He 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.