Ghana's Cocoa Production Under Threat

Ghana's position as the worlds 2nd largest producer of cocoa is under serious threat as Indonesia, the third largest producer,  makes efforts to boost production with 1,751,986.28 cocoa processing project.

The factory will be built in the village of Pamulukang in the regency of Mamuju, to produce finished products of cacao, acting head of the regional plantation office, Tanawali , has said.

"Cocoa farmers in the province could sell their beans to the factory and do not have to deal with exporters, adding so far West Sulawesi have exported most of their cacao beans"

Indonesia's West Sulawesi produces around 140,000 tons of cacao beans from 185,000 hectares of plantations.

Global companies have invested heavily in cocoa grinding industry and downstream businesses in the country in recent years.

In 2014, U.S. food giant Cargill, which has imported cacao beans from Sulawesi to feed its factories in other countries, commissioned its cacao grinding facility in Gresik, East Java.

Ghana's cocoa production still remains under threat as authoorities still struggle to deal with of smuggling and pest attack.

The Ghana Cocobod has raised a red flag over the unrestrained take-over of cocoa farms and farmlands by small-scale miners and warned that could affect the crop’s production levels.

By Abdul Malik