The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCBOD) has clarified that the country’s importation of cocoa beans from neighbouring countries is nothing new in terms of cocoa processing.
This comes after a letter signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, addressed to Afrotropic Cocoa Processing Company Limited, giving it the green light to import cocoa beans.
Per the letter, Afrotropic Cocoa Processing Company is to import 2,500 cocoa beans from Ivory Coast and 1,000 from Nigeria.
This move by COCOBOD sparked reactions on social media and from stakeholders who expressed concerns about why one of the largest producers of cocoa in the world is now importing but according to COCOBOD the content of the letter has been misinterpreted.
Responding to concerns raised by stakeholders, COCOBOD, in a statement, stated that the practice is not something new.
“All processing companies in Ghana established post-November 2001 are permitted by law to import cocoa beans for processing in Ghana. It is an industry practice that has existed for over 20 years to allow factories to import from other countries including, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Nigeria and Ecuador,” COCOBOD said in the statement.
COCOBOD further explained that the practice helps the companies meet their desired recipes for chocolate production and other uses adding that it also forms part of cost management.
“Ghana’s cocoa is a premium cocoa and as part of cost management and operational strategy, companies often blend premium Ghana Cocoa with less premium cocoa beans from other producing countries.”
COCOBOD is therefore calling on the public to “disregard the false claim deduced from the leaked letter.”
See statement below
