Kadjebi, Aug. 29, GNA - The Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG)on Saturday said it would facilitate poverty reduction programmes among populations in cocoa growing areas. It is therefore facilitating the promotion of more profitable ways of preparing "alata samina" also called "alata soap, throughout the cocoa growing areas.

Dr Jemmy Takrama, Senior Research Officer of CRIG, said this at a workshop for women groups in the Kadjebi, Jasikan and Akpafu areas of the Volta Region, on new ways of making "alata samina." He said the new ways which was an improved version of the traditional method would help the women make more profits. The Rural Enterprises Project of the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) collaborated in the programme, which is funded by the World Cocoa Foundation.

Dr Takrama said similar workshops had been organized for women in the Western, Brong-Ahafo and Central Regions and that the aim of CRIG was for people in the cocoa production areas to put cocoa by-products to good use. Dr Takrama, who is also the Project Coordinator, said the women were being trained in packaging and costing too. 29 Aug 09