GTA climaxes National Chocolate week celebration

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) climaxed this year's National Chocolate week celebration at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra yesterday. 

The event was interspersed with music, poetry recitals and the exhibition of locally produced products, particularly made from cocoa.

It was on the theme "Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy, Grow Ghana", with the sub theme, “Chocolate for all: Taste, Share and Care”.

The event was attended by traditional leaders, players in the chocolate industry, and school children.

Chocolate day

At the event, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Ablah Dzifa Gomashie, expressed the government’s commitment to providing resources, training and market access to help our chocolate industry thrive.

She said the Black Star Experience initiative, a flagship programme designed to promote the country’s rich cultural heritage, had cocoa as a symbol of national pride and economic strength.

“By celebrating National Chocolate Day, we are not only promoting our local chocolate industry but also showcasing the best of Ghanaian culture and hospitality.

“As we celebrate National Chocolate Day, we pay glowing tribute to Tetteh Quashie, the Ghanaian farmer who introduced cocoa beans to Ghana from Fernando Po in the late 19th Century.

We also honour the farmers who cultivate this prestigious crop, transforming it into the sweet delight that brings joy to millions worldwide,” she said.

Ms Gomashie urged the public to participate in the Chocolate Experience events across the nation, to indulge in the rich flavours of local chocolates and learn more about cocoa.

“As we eat chocolate, stay healthy, and grow Ghana, let us continue to promote our local chocolates, support our cocoa farmers and preserve our cultural heritage,” she said.

Stimulate domestic consumption

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GTA, Maame Afua Houadjeto, called for more chocolatiers and entrepreneurs to join the value chain to stimulate domestic consumption of cocoa based products.

“The more domestic chocolatiers and nuanced products there are on the local market, the better our chances of deepening the local taste and demand,” she said.

Mrs Houadjeto said the authority would use key events and activities as conduits to promote domestic consumption of chocolate and cocoa based products.

“The Tour Operators and Tour Guides are encouraged to ensure that their tours with both domestic and foreign clients to the various tourist sites and attractions include cocoa farms, especially the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm”.

“This will help to educate tourists on the health and economic benefits of cocoa to drive consumption,” she stated.

Implementing measure

In a speech read on his behalf, the Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Randy Abbey, said the focus of the new management of COCOBOD would go beyond just exporting raw beans by implementing measures that would lead to an increase in the export of cocoa products.

He expressed management’s commitment to increasing value addition in the country to meet the increased demand for cocoa products resulting from promotional campaigns such as the National Chocolate Week celebration.

“We, therefore, invite investors – both local and foreign – to consider Ghana as the preferred destination for cocoa value addition”.

“The government, through COCOBOD and other agencies, has put in place incentives and support systems to facilitate investment in cocoa processing, packaging, distribution and export,” Dr Abbey said.

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