Accra, May 30, GNA - The Ghana Cocoa Board announced on Friday that the 2007/08 main crop cocoa season would cease at close of business on Thursday, June 5.

A statement signed by Mr Tony Fofie, Acting Chief Executive, said in order to assist the Licensed Buying Companies (LCBs) to obtain the final returns from up-country stations, the Board had decided that returns on the declared purchases will be accepted up to 1600 hours on Thursday June 12.

The Governor of the Central Bank announced recently that the cumulative cocoa purchases through the end of the first quarter of the year totalled about 552,312 tonnes.

This is against a target of 634,000 tonnes for the crop season and 510,609 tonnes for the corresponding period of the 2006/2007 crop season.