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Numerous cocoa brands and processors have assembled along the Accra Kingsway, extending towards the front facade of the Cocoa House, to exhibit their cocoa products to the public during this year's National Chocolate Week celebration.
It is part of an exhibition being organised by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to provide cocoa processors with a platform to showcase their products, thereby promoting cocoa consumption.
The cocoa brands include Allsave Chocolate Enterprise, Prime Cocoa Products Ltd, Alpha Industries Ltd (Top Choco) and Fairafric Ghana Ltd, among others.
Explaining the rationale for the exhibition, a Deputy Public Affairs Manager of COCOBOD, Benjamin Larweh, said that it was aimed at showcasing the impact of value added to cocoa from Ghana to mark Chocolate Day instituted as part of the Valentine Day’s activities.
He said that instead of allowing activities that could harm their health, the initiative was designed to emphasise the health benefits of cocoa and encourage its consumption among the public.
“The National Chocolate Day was instituted to also celebrate Valentine’s Day to drum home the health and nutritional benefits of cocoa and inculcate consumption among the populace,” he stated.
Apart from showcasing the products, Mr Larweh stated that the exhibition aimed to demonstrate the various uses of cocoa, such as recipes, spices and soaps and it was targeted as a platform to create awareness among the general public, including market women and traders who frequently plied the Nkrumah Circle-Accra route.
He noted that promoting cocoa consumption through exhibitions and other activities during the Chocolate Week celebration would establish the country as a cocoa tourism hub.
The COCOBOD Deputy Public Affairs manager mentioned that Cocoa House collaborated with local cocoa processors to offer them the opportunity to showcase their products to the public.
He emphasised the pivotal role COCOBOD played in supporting the growth of the cocoa industry and its responsibility for regulating cocoa-related activities.
“COCOBOD provides a 20 per cent discount on light beans sold to local processors, exemplifying its support for cocoa producers and that the discount aimed to make cocoa processing more accessible and affordable for local businesses.
“So if we are selling the cocoa for $3000, there is a discount of 20 per cent for anybody who buys to process in Ghana.
This is one such support we give to cocoa producers,” he added.
Mr Larweh explained that the chocolate exhibition not only created business opportunities for local brands but also contributed to price reduction, making chocolate products more affordable to consumers.
The presence of various exhibitors and competition among chocolate brands during the exhibition is expected to drive down prices compared to those in the regular market.
“If we have various exhibitors coming on board and various chocolate brands not only showcasing their products available but encouraging competition, then prices of the chocolate sold at the exhibition will lower compared to those sold in the market,” he said.
The Operations Manager of Darling Wings Farm, a cocoa processing company, Michael Darlington, expressed his anticipation of selling their products to the public, as well as using the platform to educate them on the nutritional and health benefits of cocoa.
