The Chief of Staff, Mrs. Frema Osei-Opare has joined in the national campaign for increased consumption of cocoa, marking the beginning of the Chocolate Week Celebration today.
In a recorded video, Mrs. Frema Osei- Opare urges Ghanaians to eat cocoa products to stay healthy and help grow the economy of Ghana whilst sharing her chocolate experience.
“Cocoa is the life of our economy and we need to support our country by enjoying cocoa and all cocoa products. So, I will urge you all, in this Cocoa Month, Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy and Grow Ghana.”
Speaking at the launch of the National Chocolate week in Accra last week, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo indicated that his outfit has been committed to adding value to locally produced cocoa and to actively promote the consumption of its derivatives, thus has pursued several programmes to promote the local processing of cocoa.
“This has been informed by the fact that cocoa is a superfood embedded with countless nutritional and health benefits which must be consumed daily. As I have always said, consuming cocoa products is very useful for children, youth, adults and the aged as well,” he said.
He also intimated that the amount of cocoa processed domestically was low even though the country had a domestic processing capacity of more than 500,000 metric tonnes (MT), stating that the country was currently processing about 40 per cent of cocoa beans locally and was, therefore, confident of meeting the 50 per cent.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will also join the national campaign for increased consumption of cocoa products. The President is also expected to release a pre-recorded video in which he is featured sharing his involvement with chocolate and other cocoa products and his appeal to the public to consume cocoa products for health and vitality.
Whilst speaking in an interview, the Public Affairs Manager of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Mr Fiifi Boafo, revealed that President Akufo-Addo’s message is part of special campaign messages from the country’s top leaders encouraging the public to consume more cocoa-sourced product. He said the Chocolate Week Celebration which is dubbed ‘Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy and Grow Ghana’ will feature key personalities sharing their experiences with chocolate, which is sourced from cocoa.
Mr. Boafo said other key leaders, including the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and his wife, Mrs. Samira Bawumia, would also share their chocolate stories with Ghanaians. He mentioned some other key personalities as the Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah and the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
National Chocolate Week.
COCOBOD, in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Authority, launched the 2021 National Chocolate Week which would be celebrated on the theme “Eat chocolates, Stay healthy and Grow Ghana.” The celebration, which is from February 8-14,2021 is packed with activities to encourage the consumption of chocolate confectionery, beverages, and chocolate-infused dishes.
The National Chocolate Week which would be marked in February every year by COCOBOD, in collaboration with the GTA and chocolate manufacturers, is to not only display or sell various cocoa savouries, recipes and confectioneries but also for players in the industry to interact as well as raise public awareness of the health benefits of cocoa consumption.