The country spent a whooping amount of 45 million dollars to import foreign -made chocolate for hampers during the Christmas festivities in December.
The Corporate Affairs Director for Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Noah Amenya, made the disclosure in an interview with Ekourba Gyasi on Atinka AM Drive Thursday.
“If half the amount had been used to purchase locally made chocolate, it would have added some profit to grow the cocoa industry”, he added.
He urged the general public to support the cocoa industry by consuming locally made chocolate to expand the economy.
The Managing Director of the Cocoa Processing Company, Nana Agyenim Boateng, also confirmed the figure on Wednesday during the celebration of National Chocolate Day in Accra.
Mr Amenya also told Atinka FM that Ghana loses $600 per tonne on cocoa exports, the Corporate Affairs Director for Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has said.
He explained that COCOBOD losses huge sums of money especially as it pays GH¢7,600 per farmer for every one tonne, which is the equivalent of $1,808.
He added that the GH¢7,600 paid to the farmers is the equivalent of charges involved in the cost of shipping every tonne of cocoa to the international market.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com