An eleven-member Board of Directors for the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has been officially inaugurated at the Ministry of Finance, with a charge to urgently revive the declining cocoa industry.
Chaired by Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, the reconstituted board includes key national figures such as Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Bank of Ghana Governor Dr. Johnson Asiama.
Other notable members include Randy Abbey, Alhaji Alhassan Kobina Ghansah, Vincent Oppong Asamoah, Samson Ahi, John Dumelo, Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, Nana Charles Owusu, and Eric Turkson.
The inauguration, presided over by Energy Minister John Jinapor, highlighted the critical state of COCOBOD.
Mr. Jinapor lamented the institution’s sharp decline, noting that cocoa production had dropped from its peak of one million metric tonnes to around 500,000 metric tonnes.
Despite the challenges, he expressed confidence in the new board’s ability to steer the organisation back to stability and excellence.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, returning to the board under new legal provisions, described cocoa as the “jewel of the economy”.
He criticised past mismanagement of the sector and revealed government plans to acquire 200,000 hectares of land to establish cocoa plantations, aiming to restore production to previous highs.
Dr. Forson also called for urgent action to rehabilitate cocoa farms affected by disease, particularly in the Western Region.
He pledged the Finance Ministry’s full support to the new board in implementing reforms and stabilising the sector.
Board Chairman Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo expressed gratitude to the President for the appointment, describing it as both an honour and a significant responsibility.
He pledged to lead a bold transformation of COCOBOD, promising to “reset, retool, and reimagine” the institution into a vibrant pillar of the Ghanaian economy.
He also encouraged political leaders to actively engage in agriculture to inspire youth participation and restore national pride in cocoa farming.