COCOBOD Builds Major Warehouse At Tema Harbour

By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday, 30 September 2006
THE Ghana Cocoa Board has built a 50,000 capacity warehouse to store cocoa beans at the Tema Port for export.

The Takoradi port is to benefit from a similar facility next year, Chief Executive of the Board, Isaac Osei, announced in Accra on Wednesday.

The move, he said, is to help ease congestion at the two harbours and also to help maintain the quality of beans to be exported.

Mr Osei was briefing the media on the activities planned for this year’s COPAL Cocoa Day celebration slated for Sunyani on October 1.

The day was instituted by the cocoa Producers Alliance (COPAL) who produce 76 per cent of the world’s cocoa to promote the local processing and consumption of cocoa.

COPAL has since 2004 set aside October 1 as ‘Cocoa Day’ and the National Committee on the Promotion of Cocoa Consumption (NCPCC) selected Sunyani as the venue for this year’s event.

Mr Osei said cocoa production in the country has increased significantly in the past five years and "we are working hard to ensure that this achievement is maintained."

He said Ghana produced 705, 000 tonnes of cocoa which is the second highest in the history of the country, last year adding that, "we are targetting close to 730,000 tonnes next year."

Mr Osei said Ghana’s cocoa enjoys a very high premium on the world market due to its quality adding, "we have reached the new production plateau and whatever we do now has an effect on the world market."

He said the 810 million dollar trade facility agreement signed in Paris between the Cocoa Board and foreign partners will inject the needed capital into the cocoa industry saying "we will now have sufficient money to ensure that no local farmer goes unpaid."

He said the board currently has in stock 14,000 bales capable of purchasing more than 300,000 tonnes. He said the price for a bag of cocoa was 20 per cent higher than what pertains in the Ivory Coast, thereby discouraging smuggling.

Among activities lined up for the celebration are a health walk through the principals streets of Sunyani, cocoa fair and exhibition and honouring farmers for their contributions.