Ghana must change its taste and encourage local consumption of cocoa products to boost the economy, Minister of Tourism Mike Gizo said as he promoted a new chocolate drink on Wednesday. He said Ghana, the second largest cocoa-producing country in the world, damages its economy by consuming so little chocolate. The Minister pleaded with Ghanaians to change culture and traditions that prevents them from consuming the main commodity the nation produces.

Ghanaians consume so little chocolate because some people believe chocolate causes diseases and others think only rich people eat or drink it.

"Patronage of cocoa products can yield enormous savings for the nation. The recent economic situation...means that, apart from taking the harsh decision to burn 250,000 tons of cocoa, a sustained alternative must be found to demonstrate our support for governments of producing countries."

He re-launched the new "Alltime" chocolate drink being produced by the Cocoa processing Company (CPC) in Accra. The world cocoa price has fallen by more than 50 per cent in three years. African cocoa producing countries have proposed burning 250,000 tons of cocoa to shore up prices. "It becomes strategically sound for the cocoa processing industry to come out with new products that will appeal to the local market for large consumption," Gizo said.

"The situation places a responsibility on us ...to deepen our partnership with the company in our efforts to promote the products in order to increase consumption."

Mr Paul Awua, Managing Director of CPC, said: "Ghana cannot afford to play on the abysmal situation because cocoa is the backbone of the economy. It provides jobs for a large proportion of the nation's population."

Records show that African countries produced between 54.8 per cent and 66.3 per cent of the world's cocoa between 1990/91 and 1996/97. Of the total, Ghana contributed 10.4 per cent to 14 per cent.

"However, the country (Ghana) consumed 0.04 per cent to 0.05 per cent out of the African regional consumption rate of 1.08 per cent to 1.19 per cent," Awua said.

The amount of cocoa consumed per person in Europe in a year averaged 2.4 kilogrammes, but Africa averaged 1.10 grammes. Africa's consumption is only above 4.2 per cent of Europe's. "This consumption attitude benefits the European countries more than the cocoa producing countries," he said.