Kumasi, July 16, GNA- Kuapa Kokoo, a farmers-owned Licensed Cocoa Buying Company (LBC), is benefiting from a training programme being sponsored by TWIN, a United Kingdom (UK) Organisation. Resource persons from the Cooperative College of Manchester, in UK, are taking workers of the LBC through cooperative principles and values towards the transformation of the company into a more vibrant and viable co-operative.

Madam Elaine Jones, Board Chairman of TWIN, said these at the start of a series of training programme at Kumasi on Friday. She said the decision of the organization to train the workers followed the assessment of the Company, carried out last year. Madam Jones said the national executive council, Board, management, regional representatives and research development officers of the Company, had already taken part in a training scheme that would be extended to the district and society levels.

She said Kuapa Kokoo that TWIN assisted in setting up in 1993, had now grown into a big enterprise and needed to be continually supported to enable cocoa farmers to get adequate returns from their produce. Madam Jones said the LBC from a modest beginning of 22 societies, now had 1,600 societies with a total of 48,700 registered farmers. She said the Company had operated in five cocoa regions; Ashanti, Western, Brong-Ahafo, Eastern and Central.

Madam Jones said since Kuapa Kokoo was a shareholder of the Day Chocolate in the UK that sold its products on the fair trade market, it was important to assist the company to operate effectively. She said: "This way cocoa farmers in Ghana stand to gain from premiums accruing from the fair trade" and commended the workers of Kuapa Kokoo for their hard work.

Madam Jones announced that TWIN would install a solar power system at the Company's head office and also provide a vehicle to facilitate its activities.

Mrs Regina Corletey, a Research and Development Officer of the LBC, expressed the hope that participants would have a deeper insight into cooperative principles to enable them to contribute efficiently to the growth of Kuapa Kokoo.