Ghana Cocoa Board

Ghana Cocoa Board logo

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is a Ghanaian government-controlled monopsony institution ^[1] that fixes the buying price for cocoa in Ghana. Farmers are protected from the volatile prices on the world market through the price-fixing. ^[2] The board also sells high-quality hybrid seeds and carries out some research on cocoa plant-related diseases. ^[3]

The institution, originally established in the colonial era, was known as the Cocoa Marketing Board between 1947 and 1979. 60% of Ghana’s cocoa beans are sent to the UK. ^[4] The Board's sole responsibility is to support production, marketing and processing of cocoa in the county. ^[5]

History

Origin

In 1937, farmers in Gold Coast, a colony of the British Empire equal to contemporary Ghana, refused to continue selling cocoa at the low prices set by European merchants and decided to withhold cocoa from the market. The strike went on for 8 months, until the British government acted by setting up the Nowell Commission of Enquiry to investigate the issue. ^{[6] [7]} The Nowell Commission report advised the government to assist cocoa farmers by establishing a Marketing Board.

West African Produce Control Board (1940–1946)

In 1940, the government established the West African Produce Control Board to purchase cocoa under guaranteed prices from all West African countries. It operated throughout World War II and was dissolved in 1946.

Cocoa Marketing Board (1947–1979)

The first attempt to regulate market value and production was in 1947 through the Ghana Marketing Board. The Ghana Marketing Board was established by ordinance in 1947 with the sum of 27 million Ghanaian Cedi as its initial working capital. In 1979, this Board was dissolved and reconstituted as the Ghana Cocoa Board. ^[8]

Ghana Cocoa Board (1979–)

In 1984, the COCOBOD underwent institutional reform aimed at subjecting the cocoa sector to market forces. COCOBOD's role was reduced, and 40 percent of its staff, or at least 35,000 employees, were dismissed. Furthermore, the government shifted responsibility for crop transport to the private sector. Subsidies for production inputs (fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, and equipment) were removed, and there was a measure of privatization of the processing sector through at least one joint venture. In addition, a new payment system known as the Akuafo Check System was introduced in 1982 at the point of purchase of dried beans.

Ghana's Government implemented a strategic plan in 1984 putting the sale of agriculture, particularly Cocoa, in the hands of the Government. With the regulation of pricing and manufacturing controlled by the government over 30,000+ jobs were lost but Ghana still holds its spot as one of three highest yielding countries of Cocoa. ^[8]

In 2018, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, the two largest producers of cocoa, founded the Côte d'Ivoire–Ghana Cocoa Initiative, to increase cocoa prices, often described as OPEC for cocoa and thus dubbed "COPEC". ^[9]

In May 2024, Reuters reported that COCOBOD would borrow up to $1.5 billion by September to finance 2024/25 cocoa purchases and compensate for low output. ^[10] An earlier agreed $800 million loan faced delays due to low cocoa output.

Heads of COCOBOD

• A.C. Mills – General Manager – 1 October 1947 – December 1948
• A.E. Hampson – General Manager – 1 October 1949 – 25 May 1955
• J.A.E. Morley – Managing Director – 6 March 1953 – March 1956
• Harry Dodoo (first Ghanaian) – General Manager – 25 March 1955 – 28 February 1965
• Harry Dodoo – Managing Director – 1 May 1965 – 22 February 1967
• Frederick Robert Kankam-Boadu – Acting Managing Director – 23 February 1967 – 14 May 1968
• Frederick Robert Kankam-Boadu – Managing Director – 14 May 1968 – 1 October 1968
• Uriah Kwesi Hackman – Managing Director – 1 November 1968 – 9 October 1969
• J.G. Amoafo – Managing Director – 21 May 1970 – 27 January 1972
• Uriah Kwesi Hackman – Executive Chairman – 28 January 1972 – 31 August 1973
• Lt. Col. Kwaku A. Takyi – Executive Chairman – 20 December 1973 – 19 February 1975
• Cdr. J.C. Addo – Managing Director – 20 February 1975 – 31 July 1978
• Andrews Kwame Pianim – Chief Executive – 1 August 1978 – 4 October 1979
• Mumuni Bawumia – Interim Chairman – 5 October 1979 – 30 September 1981
• Mumuni Bawumia – Chief Executive – 1 October 1981 – 10 January 1982
• Kwame Gyamfi – Chief Executive – 11 January 1982 – 25 August 1983
• Harry Dodoo – Chief Executive – 7 October 1983 – 17 September 1986
• K.N. Owusu – Chief Executive – 17 September 1986 – 28 December 1989
• David Aninakwa – Chief Executive – 28 December 1989 – 16 January 1996
• Flt. Lt. Joseph Atiemo – Chief Executive – 4 September 1993 – 3 September 1996
• John Henry Newman – Chief Executive – 3 September 1996 – 2001
• S.K. Appah – Acting Chief Executive – 2001
• Isaac Osei – Chief Executive – April 2006 – December 2008
• Anthony Fofie – Chief Executive – 16 Dec 2008–30 Nov 2013 ^[11]
• Stephen Kwabena Opuni – Chief Executive – 30 November 2013 – 13 January 2017 ^[12]
• Joseph Boahen Aidoo – Chief Executive – 13 January 2017– ^{[13] [14]}

Buying of fertilisers from Ghanaian companies

In September 2019, COCOBOD was given a directive by the government of Ghana to buy fertilisers from local manufacturers from 2020. Due to the government's One-district One-factory venture, the local fertiliser production firms had the requisite capacity the demand of the country. ^[15]

Subsidiaries

• Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana
• Seed Production Division
• Cocoa Health and Extension Division
• Quality Control Company
• Cocoa Marketing Company

Governance

The institution is governed by the Ghana Cocoa Board Act of 1984. In June 2024, COCOBOD hired the law firm ShawbellConsulting to develop proposals to update the 1984 act and other legislation governing the cocoa sector. ^[16]

See also

• Cocoa production in Ghana
• Agriculture in Ghana
• Canada Wheat Board, a similar monopoly board that existed in Canada
• Côte d'Ivoire–Ghana Cocoa Initiative

References

1. Mireri, Julian (2021-08-12). "Ghana COCOBOD: history, departments, CEO, directors, recruitment portal". Yen.com.gh – Ghana news. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
2. "Ghana – Ghana Cocoa Board". projectsportal.afdb.org. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
3. "Ghana Cocoa Board – COCOBOD". www.cocoainitiative.org. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
4. Simon (2019-09-30). "Top 6 Cocoa Exports in Ghana". Ghana Trade. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
5. "Ghana Cocoa Board – COCOBOD". www.cocoainitiative.org. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
6. "CocoaMarketing.com". Archived from the original on 2010-02-16. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
7. Meredith, David (1988). "The Colonial Office, British Business Interests and the Reform of Cocoa Marketing in West Africa, 1937–1945". The Journal of African History. 29 (2): 285–300. ISSN   0021-8537.
8. "The Ghana Cocoa Story". Ghana Cocoa Board. 2016. Archived from the original on April 4, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
9. "Choc tactics: Ghana and Ivory Coast plot 'Opec for cocoa'". Financial Times. 2019-07-19. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
10. Adombila, Maxwell (26 May 2024). "Ghana's cocoa regulator will borrow up to $1.5 billion for 2024–25 cocoa purchases, sources say". Reuters. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
11. "COCOBOD gets new CEO". ghana web. ghana web. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
12. "Dr. Stephen Opuni appointed CEO of COCOBOD". Ghana web. Ghana Web. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
13. "COCOBOD Gets New CEO". Daily Guide. Daily Guide. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
14. "Cocobod – Structure and Operations". cocobod.gh. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
15. "COCOBOD to purchase fertilisers from local companies, beginning next year". Graphic Online. 2019-09-27. Retrieved 2019-09-29.
16. Cocobod (19 June 2024). "COCOBOD AND SHAWBELL CONSULTING PARTNER TO REVIEW KEY COCOA INDUSTRY LEGISLATION". cocobod.gh. Retrieved 2025-04-16.

External links

• Ghana Cocoa Board