The Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Ransford Abbey, has criticised the Board's historical prioritisation of road construction over its core mandate of supporting cocoa production and improving farmer livelihoods.

Speaking during a working tour of the Central Cocoa Region, Dr. Abbey told cocoa farmers at an interactive meeting in Assin Dawomako Kobeda in the Assin South District that road construction is not part of COCOBOD’s official responsibilities.

According to him, that duty falls under the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

He revealed that COCOBOD’s deep involvement in road projects—especially under the second phase of the Cocoa Roads Improvement Programme (CRIP II)—has contributed significantly to the Board’s current financial woes.

Contracts under CRIP II were denominated in U.S. dollars, resulting in a debt burden of GH¢21 billion, he said.

“This massive debt has left us financially constrained as we embark on restructuring efforts,” Dr. Abbey noted. “Our focus must return to our core functions—funding cocoa purchases, supplying inputs, ensuring quality, boosting production, and sustaining the cocoa sector.”

He explained that COCOBOD does not receive funding from the Government of Ghana through the national budget for road construction.

Rather, past road projects were undertaken as a goodwill gesture to improve access in cocoa-growing areas and to ease the transportation of cocoa beans from farms to buying centres.

Dr. Abbey made it clear that such gestures cannot continue under the current financial strain, and any future initiatives in that direction would depend on the Board's fiscal recovery.

He reaffirmed COCOBOD’s commitment to supporting farmers and enhancing cocoa production across all seven cocoa-growing regions, while calling on cocoa farmers to support the government’s efforts to restore the Board’s financial health, particularly in the upcoming 2025/2026 crop season.

The meeting attracted farmers from Assin South, Assin North, Assin Fosu Municipal, Breman Asikuma, Ajumako, and other districts.

During the session, several farmers also voiced concerns about the challenges they face in cocoa production, seeking support to address them.