The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has disclosed that all cocoa processing companies in Ghana established post November 2001 are permitted by law to import cocoa beans for processing in the country.
It is therefore dismissing a misrepresentation on social media about the widespread circulation of an official letter to Afrotropic Cocoa Processing Company Limited to import cocoa beans and process in Ghana.
In a statement, COCOBOD, urged the public to disregard the false claim deduced from the leaked letter.
It said the practice is to help the companies to meet their desired recipes for chocolate production and other uses.
“This letter, in response to the company’s request to import cocoa beans to process in Ghana has been a subject of misinterpretation on social media leading to misinformation.
“All processing companies in cocoa processing companies in Ghana established post-November 2001 are permitted by law to import cocoa beans for processing in the country”. The practice is to help the companies to meet their desired recipes for chocolate production and other uses.”
Furthermore, it said “Ghana’s cocoa is a premium cocoa and as part of cost management and operational strategy, companies often blend premium Ghana cocoa with less premium cocoa beans from other producing countries”.
“It is an industry practice that has existed for over 20 years to allow factories to import from other countries including Cote d’lvoire, Togo, Nigeria and Ecuador,” it added.
