The Parliamentary Select Committee on Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs has paid a working visit to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) as part of efforts to familiarise itself with the operations of the Agency.

The visit, led by the Committee’s Chairman, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, included an extensive consultative review session with the management of COCOBOD, headed by Chief Executive Officer Dr Randy Abbey. The discussions focused on critical challenges currently confronting the cocoa sector.

Key issues addressed included the sector’s mounting debt burden, strategies to reverse the decline in cocoa production, the need to reform poor management practices, and the consideration of a new legal framework aimed at repositioning the cocoa sub-sector for accelerated economic transformation.

The meeting yielded several pragmatic policy recommendations and improved management proposals.

These are expected to contribute significantly to addressing COCOBOD’s challenges, enhancing cocoa production, and creating job opportunities for young people within the cocoa value chain.

The Committee reaffirmed its commitment to making agriculture a more attractive and viable career path for Ghana’s growing youth population.