COCOBOD explains viral letter on cocoa beans importation

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has defended a leaked letter approving the importation of cocoa beans into Ghana by a private company.

In the letter, the company, Afrotropic Cocoa Processing Company, is arranging to import some 2,500 cocoa beans from Ivory Coast and 1,000 from Nigeria.

However, according to the body that regulates cocoa-related issues in the country, the practice has been in existence for over 20 years, citing the cost and operational strategies of individual companies.

“All processing companies in Ghana established after November 2001 are permitted by law to import cocoa beans for processing in Ghana. It is an industry practice that has existed for over 20 years to allow factories to import from other countries, including Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Nigeria, and Ecuador,” COCOBOD argued in a statement.

“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,” the statement further observed.

Meanwhile, letters approving the importation of cocoa beans by other companies in the past have also been leaked into the public domain.