President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday called for an intensified partnership between Ghana and Japan in the Cocoa industry for their mutual benefit.
He said while Ghana produced cocoa beans and Japan had the capital and technical know-how to process the beans. Partnership between them should therefore, be intensified to realise the maximum benefit from the industry.
President Kufuor made the call when a 26-member delegation from the Japanese Chocolate and Cocoa Association on a five-day visit to Ghana paid a courtesy call on him at the Castle, Osu.
The visit, which forms part of activities to mark the 50th anniversary celebration of the Association, was to have an insight into the cocoa industry in Ghana where Japan imports about 70 per cent of its cocoa.
President Kufuor said a major portion of the trade in the cocoa industry worldwide could be captured by the two countries when such a partnership was intensified.
He thanked the delegation for the visit, which would not only strengthen the cordial relationship between both countries but would also improve trade relations between them in the cocoa industry.
Mr Yoshihiro Ohtsuka, General Manager of Lotte Company of Japan, a chocolate manufacturing company and spokesman of the delegation, said while the visit afforded them the opportunity to have more knowledge about the industry it would further enhance the relationship between Ghana and Japan.
Since their arrival last Tuesday, the delegation has visited the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (GRAIG) at New Tafo in the Eastern Region, interacted with some cocoa farmers, held a meeting with the management of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in Accra.
It has also visited the Tema harbour, the Cocoa Processing Company (CPC) and Barry Calibut, both cocoa-processing companies at Tema.
