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GEPA  builds capacity of chocolate producers in Accra

The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has commenced a series of engagement with chocolatiers in Accra to help boost the cocoa industry in Ghana.

The engagement similarly is to build their capacities in Ghana to ensure they build acceptable products that can sit in any shelves in Europe and America, among others.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghanaian Times yesterday, Mr Samuel Dentu, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of GEPA said, his outfit would ensure that the products of chocolatiers were promoted on both local and international market adding  that” I am optimistic that African products when given the necessary attention will attract lots of patronage.”

He said, over 60 per cent of cocoa produced globally originated from West Africa, with Ghana recognised as one of the world’s largest producers, second only to Côte d’Ivoire.

 The contribution of the cocoa industry to the Ghanaian economy he said was significant, employing approximately 850,000 farm families and generating more than $2 billion annually through foreign exchange of export crops.

“Due to its significant impact on Ghanaian farmers’ livelihoods, the cocoa industry has strong potential to alleviate poverty and hunger. Sector stakeholders are moving ahead with development plans that put renewed efforts on tackling sustainability challenges”.

“Ghana’s Cocoa is widely accepted as a very premium product in the global cocoa value chain industry supplying roughly a quarter of the world’s cocoa beans; a critical input in the nearly $140 billion global chocolate industry. However, Ghana gets little from the chocolate because of its low capacity to process our cocoa into chocolates and other higher-value cocoa products” he stated.

Mr Dentu declared his outfit’s intention to ensure that Ghanaians consume chocolate of least once a day stressing that many of the youth will be roped into the sector to help cut back the exportation of raw beans.

BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY

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