Ghana to prioritise local processing of cocoa to safeguard prices
GHANA – The Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Dr Randy Abbey, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting local cocoa processing and consumption as a key price-guard strategy.
Dr Randy Abbey expressed worry that though the country has an installed domestic processing capacity of 504,780 tonnes, existing processing companies were operating below 50% of their capacity.
He noted that this development has resulted in low domestic consumption and the failure to secure the much-needed benefit from the multi-billion dollar global chocolate industry.
Further observations were made that despite the increase in per capita cocoa consumption in Ghana from 0.5kg to 1kg, this achievement cannot be compared to the consumption rate in non-cocoa-producing countries in Europe and the Americas.
“Ghana has long been recognised as one of the world’s leading producers of cocoa, yet we are yet to reap the full benefits of this beloved crop in terms of domestic consumption,” he said.
The CEO pledged that the government would continue to play an active role by incentivising local domestic cocoa processing, supporting small-scale cocoa processors, and fostering public-private partnerships to improve capacity utilisation.
“I am pleased to inform you that His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, the President of the Republic of Ghana, has directed me to put in place measures that will ensure that Ghana increases its export of processed cocoa products at the expense of raw cocoa beans,” he said
The company added that increasing domestic consumption would reduce the country’s overreliance on global markets and provide our cherished cocoa farmers with a stable and reliable income.
Stressing the need for deliberate government policies and programmes to help address the unfortunate situation, it said that improving local capacity in processing and consumption will help stimulate economic growth by creating opportunities for cocoa-based industries such as chocolate production, beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical companies.
Ghana tree crop diversification project
Meanwhile, the Ghana Tree Crop Diversification Project (TCDP) is set to bring digital innovation to the country’s cocoa industry, aiming to enhance traceability and efficiency across the cocoa value chain.
Wahab Suleman, the Project Coordinator of the COCOBOD Project Implementation Unit for the TCDP, highlighted the importance of integrating the cocoa sector to ensure its long-term sustainability and competitiveness.
“The cocoa sector needs to be well-integrated to respond effectively to the global market demands. Digital traceability is a vital step toward ensuring transparency, efficiency, and sustainable growth in the industry.”
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