Head of Public Affairs at the COCOBOD, Fiifi Boafo, has expressed the intention of his outfit to engage relevant stakeholders on the need to ensure chocolate consumption in the country.
Ahead of the national chocolate week celebration, he indicated that although the Chocolate week is an anniversary the Board started last year, it has been in existence for quite some time. He explained that COCOBOD decided last year to extend it beyond just a day as a way of promoting consumption of cocoa-based products.
“So, what we have done is to have a number of activities that will help with the promotion of chocolate. So, this year, as we did last year, we are engaging different stakeholders and also drawing attention to the consumption. So, this year, one of the taglines for the celebration is that, ‘if it doesn’t include chocolate’, then it’s no gift… There’s no sweeter gift than to give chocolate”.
Fiifi Boafo
In a bid to expand its market and improve consumption, Mr Boafo revealed that the argument that the Ghanaian produced chocolates is more expensive is not entirely the case. According to him, there are foreign-produced chocolates that cost way more than what the Ghanaian produced chocolates cost on the market.
Nonetheless, he noted that considering the production capacity of most of the country’s chocolate producers as compared to those outside, indigenous companies produce at a much smaller quantities which increases the cost of operation as compared to companies that are producing higher quantities.
“So, the expectation is that, with such promotions and campaigns, we will be able to encourage people to consume chocolates made in Ghana and when you do so, it expands their capacity and their cost of operation reduces and we’ll be able to produce chocolates at a cheaper cost compared to what they are doing now”.
Fiifi Boafo
Distinct tase of Ghanaian chocolates
Lauding the qualities of Ghanaian chocolates, Mr Boafo expressed that Ghana based chocolates have distinct taste with higher cocoa content. Conversely, he indicated that most of the chocolates purchased from other places, have their own properties but usually has lower cocoa content.
“It is not just for the taste of it but also for the fact that cocoa has a lot of nutritional benefits… So, we believe that if you consume the chocolate products with high concentrations of cocoa, the benefits that it brings to you will be higher”.
Fiifi Boafo
Touching on gains made since the advent of the national chocolate celebration, Mr Boafo revealed that last year during preparation for the celebration, the per capita consumption was 0.5. However, he intimated that the latest figure actually stands at 0.6 which is a“20% increase” although he maintained that is obviously not significant enough.
To achieve this year’s target, Mr Boafo underscored the need for support from the media to get the word on the need to eat chocolate-based products to the public. He emphasized that once this is done, businesses will be built out of it, individuals can get employment and “farmers also become the biggest beneficiaries” from such publicity.
“So, our expectation is that we will get everybody on board, we consume the chocolates produced in Ghana and we are able to reduce the quantity that we export”.
Fiifi Boafo
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