Takoradi, Feb 15, GNA – A Senior Public Relations Officer at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Mr David Asare Oduro, has urged Ghanaians to always consume chocolate and other cocoa products not only on Valentine’s Day in February.
He underscored the need to consume cocoa products due to their health benefits
“We always do not have to wait till when it is getting to February that we will consume cocoa products, we have to take them continuously,” he said.
Mr Oduro, who gave the advice in a media engagement, said the introduction of National Chocolate Week had encouraged foreign companies to support the initiative.
He said most companies in the world used Ghana’s cocoa to produce chocolate, hence the day has been chosen to promote chocolate in general irrespective of where it was produced.
Mr Oduro said the promotion of chocolate since the inception of the National Chocolate Day had encouraged many manufacturing companies to come on board and support the course.
When asked if Ghana had enough finished products and would not depend on imports, he said the local companies were also doing well to produce enough for the people and added that there was enough cocoa products at the newly opened Chocolate City, as all processors were invited to showcase their products.
Mr Oduro said the per capita consumption of chocolate products in Ghana was 0.5 per cent, compelling COCOBOD to support companies that needed cocoa beans to produce more chocolate.
“Due to the introduction of chocolate day celebration, he said in about five years, the consumption of cocoa products had moved from 0.5 per cent to 58 per cent and that the country targets that in the next few years, the consumption of cocoa products would shoot up to 1kg per an individual in a year,” he stated.
Mr Oduro indicated that the target was to hit 1kg in the next few years and that by the end of the year, everyone would have taken something that had been produced out of cocoa.
GNA