‘It’s Entirely Impractical’ – NPP MP Slams Cocoa Bill Rule Requiring COCOBOD Approval to Cut Down Trees

The Member of Parliament for Manso Adubia, Hon. Yaw Frimpong Addo, has described a key provision in the proposed Cocoa Board Bill, 2026 as “entirely impractical,” warning that it could restrict farmers and discourage young people from going into cocoa farming.

The bill seeks to repeal the Ghana Cocoa Board Law, 1984 (PNDC Law 81) and introduces major changes to how the cocoa sector is governed and regulated.

Speaking on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM’s _Nyankonton Mu Nsem_, Hon. Addo, who also sits on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food and Agriculture, said his biggest concern is a clause that will require farmers to get prior approval from the Ghana Cocoa Board before removing unproductive, diseased, or unsuitable cocoa trees.

“Hon. Addo described the requirement for farmers to seek prior approval from the Ghana Cocoa Board before removing unproductive or unsuitable trees as entirely impractical,” he stated.

He argued that farm management decisions cannot be delayed by bureaucracy.

“For a law that will restrict the destruction or uprooting of cocoa trees without prior authorization, the government needed to have consulted widely, especially with cocoa farmers,” he said.

*Rushed Process, Limited Consultation*

Hon. Addo accused government of rushing the bill through Parliament. According to him, the bill was laid before the House on July 28 and passed within the same week, leaving no room for proper scrutiny or stakeholder input.

“They are now going round the country engaging farmers and other stakeholders after they rushed the bill and passed it,” he remarked.

He is therefore urging President John Dramani Mahama to withhold assent to the bill and send it back to Parliament for broader engagement with farmers, landowners, and industry players.

*What the Bill Changes*

Key points in the Cocoa Board Bill, 2026 include:

- *Repeal of PNDC Law 81* – the current law governing COCOBOD will be replaced.

- *New governance and regulatory framework* for the cocoa sector.

- Restriction on tree removal – farmers must seek COCOBOD’s prior authorization before uprooting or destroying cocoa trees, even if they are old, diseased, or unproductive.