FLASHBACK: Dr Ekow Spio-Gabrah (left), Minister, Trade and Industry, presenting the Exporter of the Year award to Mr Edmund Poku, CEO, Niche Cocoa

Our commitment to value addition progressing steadily - Niche Cocoa CEO

Maxwell Adombila Akalaare Business News Nov - 04 - 2014 , 12:59

It has been eight years since Mr Edmund Poku (EP), the CEO of Niche Cocoa Industry Limited, returned home to pursue his vision which was adding value to the country's cocoa for export. The company repatriated about US$73 million of its export earnings in 2013 and that helped to win it the Exporter of the Year award at the 24th National Awards for Export Achievement held on October 17.

Maxwell Akalaare Adombila (GB), caught up with him for a chat.

GB: What do you do at Niche Cocoa Industry?

EP: At Niche Cocoa, we process cocoa beans into semi-finished products: cocoa liquor, cake and butter and we export. We are currently exporting to Germany, Turkey and Japan. Generally, we export to Europe and Asia.

GB: Were you in anyway exposed to the cocoa processing business prior to the setting up of Niche Cocoa in May 2011?

EP: No. However, I did industrial engineering