Accra, July 14, GNA - Ghana's High Commissioner to the UK and Ireland, Mr. Annan Cato last Friday signed the 2007 International Coffee Agreement on behalf of the Government of Ghana at the London headquarters of the International Coffee Organisation. The new International Coffee Agreement which was adopted by a resolution of the International Coffee Council on September 28, 2007 at its 98th Session in London was submitted to the Ghana Cocoa Board as a designated contact for Government for submission to Cabinet and Parliament for study and ratification, a statement from the Ghana High Commission in London said.

The International Coffee Organisation (ICO) was set up in London in 1963 under the auspices of the United Nations because of the economic importance of coffee.

It has a membership of 77 countries including Ghana and consists of 45 exporting and 32 importing countries and functions through the International Coffee Council, the Executive Board, Private Sector Consultative Board, the Executive Director and a Secretariat. It is one of the world's largest traded commodities produced in more than 60 countries providing a livelihood for some 25 million people.

ICO is the main intergovernmental organisation for coffee, bringing together producing and consuming countries to tackle the challenges facing the world coffee sector through international cooperation. Ghana first acceded to the International Coffee Agreement on 9th September 1964 and has been a signatory to all the Agreements with Ghana Cocoa Board as the implementing agency for the Government of Ghana. Even though Ghana produces only a fraction of the world's coffee output, the Ghana Cocoa Board is responsible for Ghana's coffee industry and is represented at International Coffee Meetings by the Ghana Cocoa Marketing Company (UK).

The statement said coffee exports in Ghana reached their highest level in 1997/1998 with an export of 10,000 metric tonnes. Since then, there has been a gradual decline in exports due to the slump in world market prices, poor pricing policy and lack of Government support.

The decline is also due to poor yields being encountered by farmers and unsatisfactory farm management, with the major factor being poor planting materials.

The Cocoa Research Institute at Tafo has said breeding attempts being made to help rectify the situation include the development of high yielding robusta and arabusta coffee. The arabusta programme is mainly to improve the quality of our coffee. So far some robusta selections have been made which give about three tons per hectare, which is a significant improvement over the local robusta, which gives 0.8 tons per hectare under similar conditions.

The statement said to revamp the industry, Government, through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, had directed the Ghana Cocoa Board to draw up effective strategies, including the provision of incentives to farmers to rehabilitate old farms and establish new ones.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Mr Jose Dauster Sette, Head of Operations of the ICO and Edem Amegashie-Duvon, London Manager of Cocoa Marketing Company.