Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has expressed concern about the envisaged future of the country’s cocoa sector and has called for concrete steps in dealing with challenges confronting the sector head-on.
In 2021, data shows that the contribution of cocoa to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was GHS3.1 billion.
Meanwhile, statistics show that the country’s cocoa bean and products export value declined in 2022 to US$2.3 billion, a 19 per cent decrease from the preceding year.
“Galamsey is affecting most of the crops that are cut. It’s also a serious issue we have to look at. Trees are getting older and people also are not farming, everybody wants to go to the office and therefore farmers are also not there,” he outlined.
But with its massive contribution to the country’s GDP, His Majesty wants the challenges tackled immediately.
“The cocoa industry is the engine of the economy of Ghana. Recently I realized it’s going through some serious challenges, losing about 20% of the cocoa. We all have to find a way to put it back on a sound foot because agriculture is the main driver of this economy.
“Cocoa is one of the major sources of foreign exchange. If it dies then it means Ghana is going to lose all that and therefore processing the cocoa and adding value to it is also one of the major areas we all have to encourage ourselves to do.”
Otumfuo said this during a courtesy call by the Management of Nyonkopa Cocoa Buying Limited and Barry Callebaut, Tema.
The sister companies paid a visit to Otumfuo on March 20, 2024, to donate towards the Heal Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) project.
A dummy cheque of GHC100,000 was presented by the Managing Director of Barry Callebaut, Tema, Mr Krishnarkumar R Pillai and the Managing Director of Nyonkopa Cocoa, Madam Charity Sackitey.
Source: Manhyia Palace
