The government is engaging with stakeholders to address the high cost of cocoa production in the country.
Cocoa production in Ghana has been beset by a number of challenges in recent times, with COCOBOD recently approving the importation of cocoa beans by some companies.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Company, in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Sales and Marketing Manager of the Cocoa Processing Company, Nana Agyemang, at the climax of the National Chocolate Week celebrations in Accra, said that issues faced by small-scale cocoa farmers would be addressed.
“We see a lot of local producers, I mean small-scale producers, and at the GIPC, we are on the committee with the Ghana Cocoa Board to address the high cost of cocoa production concerning artisanal cocoa producers. My good friend Dr. Amporful is here, and through that, we have been able to come up with a plan. We are still engaging with the government to address issues raised by the small-scale producers.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board Operations, Emmanuel Opoku, suggests that it is high time Ghana invested in the production of raw cocoa beans to generate more revenue for the industry.
“We can begin to think about how we can develop our chocolate, our cocoa, to the level where we may not even need to export raw cocoa beans to other people in the world. In that case, getting raw cocoa beans would come at a higher premium than the premium we have today because they would need chocolate in Ghana. You won’t get much because they would need it for other things.”
The Ghana Tourism Authority, in collaboration with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and the Cocoa Processing Company (CPC), has climaxed its National Chocolate Week celebration on February 14, 2024, under the theme “EAT CHOCOLATE, STAY HEALTHY, GROW GHANA.”
The event began with a media launch on February 1, 2024, to promote the consumption of chocolate and highlight its health benefits, among other things. Activities for the celebration took place from February 9 to February 14, 2024, with Chocolate zones created in other Regional Capitals to serve as a one-stop shop for chocolates and cocoa-based products throughout the celebration.
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