COCOBOD BOARD CHAIR URGES STAKEHOLDERS TO SAFEGUARD COCOA AS A NATIONAL HERITAGE

Date: 14th November 2025

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, together with some members of the Board, has paid a day’s working visit to the Oti and Volta Regions to interact with stakeholders in the cocoa sector.

The visit forms part of efforts by COCOBOD’s leadership to deepen engagement with key actors in the cocoa value chain and strengthen collaboration in safeguarding the nation’s cocoa industry.

Addressing key stakeholders, including cocoa farmers, traditional leaders, security agencies, and COCOBOD staff, at Hohoe and Jasikan, respectively, Dr Ofosu-Ampofo underscored the importance of sustained commitment to cocoa production, describing it as the backbone of the nation’s economy.

“We must protect our cocoa trees because they represent our heritage. The government has invested heavily in land acquisition, seedling raising, and planting to maintenance, quality assurance, and the sale of cocoa beans, which you will all bear with me that such investments should not go to waste,” he stated.

Dr Ofosu-Ampofo highlighted the significance of the new Commercial Cocoa Plantation Initiative, championed by the President of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, describing it as a game-changing step to boost national production. He encouraged farmers and stakeholders to embrace plantation farming as the new era for Ghana’s cocoa sector.

He further revealed that under new planting technologies developed by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), a new cocoa variety has been researched and introduced, enabling cocoa trees to begin fruiting within 27 months. He described this as a major breakthrough that is expected to significantly boost productivity and profitability across the industry, and urged cocoa farmers to embrace the innovation to maximise their yields and income.

The Board Chairman also expressed concern over the smuggling of cocoa beans produced in Ghana into neighbouring countries by unscrupulous individuals. He called for stronger collaboration among traditional authorities, COCOBOD staff, and security agencies to effectively combat the growing menace of cocoa smuggling along the nation’s borders.

“Smuggling cocoa to a country that has not invested in you in any way undermines our national effort. This is not about apportioning blame; it is about the urgency to unite and protect what is ours,” he noted.

Dr Ofosu-Ampofo also stressed that COCOBOD alone cannot combat smuggling and the illegal felling of cocoa trees for galamsey (illegal mining) activities. He urged all stakeholders to see the fight as a shared national duty.

“COCOBOD’s Special Services Department, including its Intelligence Unit, cannot fight cocoa smuggling alone. This can be done through collaboration between custodians of the land, security agencies, and patriotic citizens,” he emphasised.

He also hinted that a new legal framework is being considered to protect cocoa trees, similar to other protected crops in Ghana, indicating that when fully enacted, offenders who cut down cocoa trees without authorisation will face severe sanctions.

“Very soon, any cocoa tree cut down without proper documentation will attract severe sanctions. Be wary of your actions, and spread this message to those involved,” he warned.

Regional Ministers and key actors along the cocoa value chain who joined the COCOBOD delegation during the visit reaffirmed their shared commitment to safeguarding Ghana’s cocoa as a vital national heritage.