The Minority in Parliament has raised concerns about the management of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), criticising the rising administrative expenditures amidst declining cocoa production.

According to the caucus, cocoa production dropped to 655,000 tonnes over the last four years, while COCOBOD’s head office expenditure surged to approximately GH¢3.4 billion in 2023.

During an interaction with journalists in Accra on Wednesday, August 7, the Ranking Member on the Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs Committee of Parliament, Eric Opoku, expressed these concerns.

Mr Opoku criticised COCOBOD for allegedly misusing funds that should be paid to farmers and questioned if the cocoa was being grown at the office.

He urged COCOBOD to be more prudent in its expenditures and focus on the well-being of the farmers.

“In 2023, cocoa production declined further to 655,000 but office expenditure did not decline. It increased to GH¢3.4 billion. And the Auditor General reports to Parliament that this is largely due to headquarters expenditure. So COCOBOD head office alone is expending GH¢3.4 billion, while the entire Ministry of Agriculture is expending something around GH¢2.7 billion. Isn’t that strange?"

“The producers are sweating every day to get the cocoa for us. They complain of water, they complain of bad roads, they complain of so many things, they are not getting them.

"Even look at the producer price that we give them and you spend your money this way in the office. So are you growing the cocoa in the office or in the bush?”