News:
July 31, 2026
Parliament has officially passed the Ghana Cocoboard Bill, 2026, legislation that promises to radically restructure the country’s cocoa sector and the operations of its state regulator, COCOBOD.
The bill, which was debated extensively in the house over the past month, was passed late Tuesday evening. It aims to modernize the cocoa industry to secure its long-term viability in the face of climate change and volatile global market prices.
The legislation is expected to grant COCOBOD increased regulatory powers over the entire value chain, including the licensing of private buying companies, the regulation of local pricing mechanisms, and stricter quality control measures from farm to port.
“This bill is a new dawn for our cocoa industry,” said Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin following the passage. “It equips COCOBOD with the necessary tools to face 21st-century challenges while protecting the livelihoods of our hardworking farmers.”
The bill was passed with a majority vote, though it faced significant opposition from minority members who raised concerns about the potential erosion of parliamentary oversight and the centralization of power within COCOBOD.
Key provisions of the bill include the establishment of a new fund dedicated to cocoa farmer pensions and the creation of a subsidiary body focused specifically on cocoa research and disease control. The legislation also includes punitive measures against illegal mining (galamsey) in cocoa-growing regions, with new fines and penalties for those who destroy cocoa farms.
The President is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming days. The government has hailed the passage as a historic step toward ensuring Ghana’s position as the world’s premier cocoa producer, despite recent production lows.
Ghanamps.com