Farmers who produce cocoa don't automatically have to eat chocolate - Fiifi Boafo

Some cocoa farmers in Ghana have never tasted chocolate despite growing the crop for years. Their children, who sometimes offer assistance on their farms, have also never had the opportunity to taste the finished products of their cocoa.

Those are the comments of some cocoa farmers who were captured in an earlier Happy FM report said.

But the Head of Public Affairs of the COCOBOD, Fiifi Boafo, has explained that there are other benefits these farmers derive from producing cocoa beans, than just eating chocolates produced from them.

In an interview on The Lowdown with GhanaWeb's Daniel Oduro, the PRO of COCOBOD, who said he is personally not a big fan of chocolates, noted that it is not automatic for farmers to eat chocolate.

"The discussion about whether the children of cocoa farmers have enjoyed chocolate, I do not think it should be premised on the fact that they produce cocoa so automatically they must enjoy chocolate.

"If I produce cassava I might not eat fufu. The argument is that the health and nutritional benefit we derive from cocoa is the more reason why the children of cocoa farmers must enjoy it. There is a lot more they can enjoy than taking the cocoa product... I Fiifi Boafo, don't like chocolate but I like other cocoa products," he told GhanaWeb.

Fiifi Boafo, however, noted that measures have been put in place to ensure that Ghana does not only export raw cocoa beans, but also processes them into finished products.

"For me, I believe strongly that every individual in Ghana must consume cocoa products. Our per capita consumption has increased by 100% and there is a lot more we can do...a taste of Ghana is a cocoa product," he added.

Mr Boafo again highlighted the challenges Ghana faces as a cocoa-producing country, as well as measures that will curb the smuggling of its premium beans to neighbouring countries.

Watch the interview below:



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