The management of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has given a clarification on its letter permitting a private company, AFROTROPIC Cocoa Beans Processing Company Limited, to import 3,500 tonnes of cocoa beans from Cote D’Ivoire and Nigeria.

Some factions of the public including leading members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) were up in arms on social media blasting the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government over the import of cocoa beans from Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria while reacting to the approval letter.

In a statement sighted by GhanaWeb, COCOBOD urged Ghanaians to disregard claims the importation of cocoa beans into Ghana is an indication that the government has failed.

According to the board, all cocoa processing companies in the country are permitted by law to import cocoa into the country.

It added that process companies in Ghana often import cocoa beans to blend them with Ghana’s premium cocoa beans.

“All processing companies in Ghana established post November 2001 are permitted by law to import cocoa beans for processing in Ghana. The practice is to help the companies meet 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,” part of the statement which is dated February 4, 2024, reads.

It added, “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”.

Read the funnel statement below:



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