The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has urged President John Mahama not to assent to the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, and instead return it to Parliament for broader consultation with key stakeholders.
The party says the Bill was rushed through Parliament without adequate engagement with cocoa farmers and other stakeholders, despite containing provisions that could have significant implications for the cocoa industry.
Ranking Member on Parliament’s Agriculture Committee and Co-Chairman of the NPP Policy Committee on Agriculture, Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku, made the call at a press conference at the party’s headquarters on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
According to him, the Bill, which seeks to repeal the Ghana Cocoa Board Law, 1984 (PNDC Law 81), introduces major changes, including new governance arrangements, the establishment of a tribunal and the creation of new offences.
Dr Opoku said the Bill was laid before Parliament on July 28 and passed within the same week, leaving little time for meaningful consultation with cocoa farmers, landowners and other industry stakeholders.
“We urge His Excellency the President to withhold his assent to the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, and return the same to Parliament for broader stakeholder consultation,” he said.
NPP raises concerns over cocoa tree restrictions
The NPP also expressed concern about provisions that restrict the destruction or uprooting of cocoa trees without prior authorisation.
Dr Opoku argued that the requirement could limit farmers’ ability to manage their own farms and potentially expose them to sanctions for removing diseased, unproductive or old cocoa trees.
He questioned why farmers should need prior approval from the Ghana Cocoa Board to remove trees they consider no longer productive or suitable for cultivation.
The NPP maintained that any legislation with significant implications for cocoa farmers should be subjected to extensive consultation before it becomes law.
The party warned that the Bill could have long-term consequences for both current farmers and the future of Ghana’s cocoa industry, which remains a major contributor to the national economy.
It is therefore calling on President Mahama to return the Bill to Parliament for further scrutiny and broader engagement with farmers and other stakeholders before it is reconsidered.
