Apowa (W/R), Dec 31, GNA - A new commodity village on a 300- acre land at Apowa near Takoradi has re-located articulated trucks loaded with dried cocoa beans meant for shipment through the Takoradi Port. The facility also serves as a one-stop shop for all drivers who cart large quantities of cocoa from the hinterland to the harbour. Mr. Samuel Oduro-Asare, the area coordinator of the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC), told journalists that the facility had assisted in decongesting the Takoradi Port and the entire city.

He said a lorry park that could host 800 trucks had also been built and toilets, canteen, mini market, axle load weight bridge, water reservoirs for fire fighting and bathroom has been made available for the drivers as they await their turn to off-load their cargo.

Mr. Oduro-Asare said 120 trucks loaded with dried cocoa beans are off-loaded daily while samples are taken for quality control analysis, fumigation and storage before export.

He said a container base had been established at the village and equipped with the requisite equipment for the lifting of empty and loaded containers onto vehicles meant for the port. Mr. Oduro-Asare said the container shipment of cocoa beans by the Takoradi Port has over the past seven years been taking place and this had reduced congestion at the Takoradi Port. He said absence of a police post had led to thefts of bagged cocoa beans.

He said a drivers' hostel was under construction and could be ready for use by the end of March 2010. 31 Dec 09