According to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), importation of cocoa beans for domestic processing is legal for any Ghanaian cocoa processing enterprises founded after November 2001.
As a result, it is rejecting a false claim made on social media regarding the extensive distribution of an official letter authorizing Afrotropic Cocoa Processing Company Limited to import and process cocoa beans in Ghana.
COCOBOD asked the public to reject the incorrect inference made from the leaked letter in a statement.
According to the statement, the approach aids businesses in meeting their ideal recipes for the manufacture of chocolate and other applications.
“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”.
Moreover, it stated that “companies frequently blend premium Ghanaian cocoa with less premium cocoa beans from other producing countries as part of cost management and operational strategy.” Ghanaian cocoa is a premium cocoa.
It further stated that “allowing factories to import from other countries, including Cote d’lvoire, Togo, Nigeria, and Ecuador, is an industry practice that has existed for over 20 years.”
