Parliament has passed the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, introducing major reforms aimed at strengthening Ghana’s cocoa sector and guaranteeing cocoa farmers not less than 70 per cent of the Free on Board (FOB) export price.
The legislation establishes the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) as the statutory body responsible for regulating, overseeing and monitoring activities across the cocoa value chain.
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Presenting the Bill in Parliament, Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem said the new law provides a legal framework for COCOBOD to support cocoa production, regulate the sector, oversee cocoa purchases and exports, and promote value addition.
He said the legislation also formalises the Producer Price Review Committee and its technical structures, strengthening the process for determining cocoa producer prices.
Mr Ampem explained that the Bill introduces a new funding model that will allow COCOBOD to raise funds locally to purchase cocoa beans from farmers while ensuring sufficient supply for local processing companies.
“This bill is bringing out new arrangements where the beans will be available for our local processing companies. Seventy per cent of the FOB price of cocoa will go to the farmers,” he said.
The legislation also provides statutory backing for regulatory functions, including quality inspections, certification requirements, disinfestation procedures, service charges and cocoa take-over processes, giving them stronger legal enforcement.
It further places COCOBOD under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance, formalising the government’s March 2025 decision to transfer oversight from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
The Bill also promotes public-private partnerships and local value addition by encouraging collaboration with local and international partners, while introducing measures to support small-scale chocolatiers and cocoa by-products manufacturers.
