GHANA- Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate Business has said it will continue collaborating with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and the government as part of its commitment to improving the cocoa sector through continued investment in the cocoa industry, reports Ghana News Agency

Mr.Harold Poelma, the President of Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate made the announcement during a meeting with that chairman of COCOBOD and Minister of Food and Agriculture at a time when the company celebrates ten years in Ghana.

According to statement issued by Cargill, the government also said it was fully committed to alleviating socio-economic challenges in the cocoa sector and pledged its undaunted support to the company.

Mr Owusu-Agyemang, the chairman COCOBOD said that the government is also making strategies towards seeing the country attains a 1 million-tonne cocoa production level for the 2018/19 with 50% of the output being processed locally.

He also outlined the outcome of Cargill’s traceability-focused fully e-money enabled Licensed Buying Company; Cargill Kokoo Sourcing Company Limited.

“Since its establishment, 13,000 cocoa farmers have benefited from a total of US$1.25 million in premium payments and currently covers 11 districts,’’

Mr. Pieter Reichert, the Managing Director for Cargill’s Cocoa and Chocolate Business in Ghana, also expressed the company’s commitment towards ensuring a sustainable environment and its willingness for further partnerships.

The company was actively working with farmers to change and build up on strategies to curb deforestation as well as improve on sustainable farming activities.

Cargill had been buying cocoa from Ghana for over 40 years until in 2008 when it opened its state-of-the-art cocoa processing facility in Tema.

Since the start of its operations in Ghana, Cargill has led in innovations touching on the installation of the fully-automated digital solar system at the Tema plant and called for cooperation towards a sustainable environment.

Currently, Cargill has employed over 600 permanent and contracted employees processing cocoa products for the food and confectionery customers at the domestic and international markets.

It is expected that these engagements will help Cargill continue to bolster farmer confidence in the cocoa sector.