Withhold Assent To Cocoa Board Bill- NPP To Mahama

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has urged President John Mahama to withhold his assent to the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, and return it to Parliament for further scrutiny and broader consultation with cocoa farmers and other stakeholders. The party contends that the legislation was passed in haste, leaving insufficient opportunity for those directly affected by the proposed changes to examine and contribute to the Bill before it was approved by Parliament. The 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 NPP headquarters on Sunday, August 9, 2026.

According to Dr Opoku, the Bill was laid before Parliament on July 28 and passed within the same week, a process he described as inadequate for legislation with potentially significant implications for Ghana’s cocoa sector. He said the proposed law would repeal the Ghana Cocoa Board Law, 1984 (PNDC Law 81), while introducing new governance arrangements, establishing a tribunal and creating additional offences. The NPP believes the scale of the proposed changes warranted extensive engagement with cocoa farmers, landowners and other industry actors before the Bill was passed.

“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,” Dr Opoku said. A major concern raised by the party relates to provisions governing the destruction or uprooting of cocoa trees. Dr Opoku said requiring prior authorization before cocoa trees could be destroyed or uprooted could place unnecessary restrictions on farmers, particularly those seeking to remove diseased, unproductive or old trees from their farms.

He questioned the rationale for requiring farmers to obtain approval from the Ghana Cocoa Board before removing trees they consider no longer productive or suitable for continued cultivation. The NPP argued that such provisions could interfere with farmers’ ability to manage their farms efficiently and potentially expose them to sanctions for decisions taken in the ordinary course of farm management. The party maintained that any law imposing new restrictions or obligations on cocoa farmers must take into account the practical realities they face in maintaining their farms and protecting productivity.

The opposition party said the concerns surrounding the Bill went beyond individual provisions and extended to the manner in which the legislation was considered and passed. It argued that cocoa farmers, landowners and other stakeholders should have been given adequate opportunity to examine the proposed law, raise concerns and make recommendations before Parliament completed its consideration. The NPP warned that decisions affecting the governance and management of the cocoa sector could have long-term consequences for farmers and the wider industry.

It therefore called on President Mahama to return the Bill to Parliament rather than assent to it in its current form. The party said further parliamentary consideration should be preceded by broader stakeholder engagement to address concerns over the proposed governance structure, restrictions on cocoa trees, new offences and other provisions contained in the legislation. The NPP maintained that such consultation would help ensure that any new legal framework for the Ghana Cocoa Board protects farmers’ interests while strengthening the administration and sustainability of the cocoa industry.

By: Joyce Owusu