A new Board of Directors has been officially introduced to lead the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
2. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson (MP) – Minister for Finance
3. Dr. Johnson Asiama – Governor of the Bank of Ghana
4. Randy Abbey – Chief Executive
5. Alhaji Alhassan Kobina Ghansah
6. Vincent Oppong Asamoah
7. Samson Ahi – Deputy Minister for Trade
8. John Dumelo – Deputy Minister for Agriculture
9. Alhaji Alhassan Bukari
10. Nana Charles Owusu
11. Eric Turkson
During the ceremony, the Minister for Energy, Mr. John Jinapor, who also serves as the Alternate Minister for Finance, expressed concern about the drop in cocoa production. He said cocoa output has fallen from one million metric tonnes to about 500,000 metric tonnes. He encouraged the new board to use their skills and knowledge to change this negative trend.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson also spoke at the event. He explained that under new laws, the Minister for Finance and the Bank of Ghana Governor must always be part of the COCOBOD board. He called cocoa “the jewel of the economy” and shared plans to get 200,000 hectares of land for cocoa farming to increase production.
Dr. Forson also mentioned that diseases, especially in the Western Region, are harming cocoa plants. He urged the board to quickly find solutions to these problems and promised that the Finance Ministry would support them.
Board Chairman Dr. Ofosu Ampofo thanked President John Mahama for giving them this important job. He said the board would work hard to improve COCOBOD by bringing in new ideas and reforms. He also asked politicians to take a stronger interest in farming, saying that it would encourage young people to see agriculture as a good career.
