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The Ghana Cocoa (COCBOD) has made it clear that the nation has been importing cocoa beans from its neighbors for more than 20 years.
Afrotropic Cocoa Processing Company Limited is authorized to import cocoa beans by a letter seen by citinewsroom.com, which is signed by Joseph Boahen Aidoo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
1,000 cocoa beans will be imported from Nigeria and 2,500 from the Ivory Coast by Afrotropic Cocoa Processing Company.
Stakeholders were alarmed by COCOBOD’s action and voiced worries about the fact that the top exporter was suddenly switching to importation.
COCOBOD responded to this by saying in a statement that the practice is not entirely 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 clarified.
COCOBOD emphasized that the practice is a component of cost management and that it assists the companies in fulfilling their “desired recipes for chocolate production and other uses.” “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 bemoaned the content of the letter, which has been misinterpreted, calling on the public to “disregard the false claim deduced from the leaked letter.”
Read the statement below:
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
