With depleting cocoa stock over the years due to several factors including illegal mining, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is planning to introduce new legislation to protect the sector and increase production.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Randy Abbey, his outfit through the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s department will roll out the legislation and calls for support from all stakeholders.
He stated that current laws do not have the necessary bite to deter individuals and businesses from the destruction of cocoa farms under the pretext of mineral exploration.
Dr. Abbey noted that discussions are currently being held with the Attorney General’s Department for the drafting and necessary amendments of existing laws for parliamentary consideration.
Hello made this known when he was speaking to cocoa farmers to mark ‘May Day’ celebration in the Nkawie District of the Ashanti Region, on Thursday, May 1,
“Existing laws are not stringent enough. The cocoa tree is not protected, and that is why people can indiscriminately just fell cocoa trees under the pretext of mining, whether it is prospecting or actual mining, we’re just destroying cocoa trees.
“So, cocoa must be protected, and that is one of the assurances President John Dramani Mahama gave when he met the executives of farmers at the Jubilee House, so we need to sit with the Attorney General’s department to be able to draft the necessary amendment and get Parliament to approve this,” COCOBOD CEO opined.
Meanwhile, Dr. Randy Abbey also chastised the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party government for failing to ensure value for money in the cocoa rehabilitation programme, despite the heavy financial investment.
Hello reiterated that financial discipline is paramount to sanitising the sector and that’s what his administration will do to ensure its growth.
Cocoa farms, particularly those located in mining communities across the country, remain under constant threat from illegal mining operations and chainsaw activities.
While some miners have forcibly taken over cocoa farms, others have been acquired with the consent of farmers who have sold off their lands.
The situation according to COCOBOD continues to impact Ghana’s cocoa sector, hence the intensify efforts to introduce and enforce regulations that will protect cocoa trees.
