Topics treated at the workshop included  post-harvest handling of cocoa beans, good warehouse practices and quality management system at cocoa sheds and depots.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Deputy Eastern Regional Manager of Quality Control Company Limited, Peter Korang directed that harvesting of cocoa and breaking of pods should be done in a timely manner to avoid over ripening of pods.

Purchasing

He stressed the need for the purchasing clerks to impress upon farmers to ferment their cocoa beans for six days before  drying them.

Mr Korang also urged the participants to advise the farmers against drying cocoa beans on tarpaulins, tarred roads or any surfaces that did not allow good air circulation.

He emphasised that cocoa beans being dried must be stirred frequently to enhance aeration, adding that they should try as much as possible to pick up any foreign materials from the beans.

The Oda District Officer of the company,  Michael Tweneboah-Mensah admonished the participants to ensure good warehouse management practices both at the society and depot levels.

Cocoa beans

He urged them to pack cocoa beans into strong jute bags after drying them and stored in well ventilated rooms, adding that the bags must be packed on wooden pallets.

"The nature of the site of premises for the storage of cocoa beans must not be swampy grounds or prone to periodic flooding," Mr Tweneboah-Mensah stated, stressing that the site should be accessible by motor trucks.

He advised the participants to ensure that the nature of the building for the storage of cocoa beans should be of concrete blocks, bricks or metal clad, while the internal and external wall surfaces must be smooth and have no cracks, neither should the floor surfaces have cracks.

According to the District Officer, the roofs of the cocoa sheds should either be corrugated roofing sheets, asbestos or concrete and the roof should not indicate any likelihood of leakages.

He said the internal walls and gradings of cocoa sheds should be whitewashed and the premises for the storage of cocoa beans must be kept clean always and must not show any evidence of live insects or other forms of infestation.

A Quality Control Officer, Prince Danquah, said for bags of cocoa to be ready for inspection by his outfit, the package must not be poorly sewn,  dirty, weak or strained.