The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on President John Mahama not to assent to the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, but to return it to Parliament for broader stakeholder consultation.

The party argues that the Bill was rushed through Parliament without sufficient engagement with cocoa farmers and other key stakeholders, despite provisions it says could have far-reaching implications for the cocoa industry.

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 party’s headquarters on Sunday, August 9, 2026.

According to him, the Bill, which repeals the Ghana Cocoa Board Law, 1984 (PNDC Law 81), introduces significant changes, including new governance arrangements, the establishment of a tribunal and the creation of new offences.

Dr Opoku said the Bill was laid before Parliament on July 28 and passed within the same week, arguing that the process did not provide enough time for meaningful consultation with cocoa farmers, landowners and other industry stakeholders.

“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,” he said.

NPP raises concern over cocoa tree restrictions

The NPP also raised concerns about provisions restricting the destruction or uprooting of cocoa trees without prior authorisation.

Dr Opoku argued that such a requirement could unnecessarily restrict farmers in managing their own farms and potentially expose them to sanctions for activities such as removing diseased, unproductive or moribund cocoa trees.

He questioned why cocoa farmers should require prior approval from the Ghana Cocoa Board before removing trees they consider no longer productive or suitable for cultivation.

According to him, any legislation that significantly affects the rights and operations of cocoa farmers should be subjected to extensive consultation before becoming law.

The NPP warned that the consequences of the legislation could extend beyond current cocoa farmers and affect the future of an industry that remains important to Ghana's economy.

The party is therefore asking President Mahama to return the Bill to Parliament to allow for further scrutiny and broader engagement with farmers and other stakeholders before it is reconsidered.