West African Mills Company (WAMCo), a cocoa processing firm based in Takoradi, has indicated plans to expand production in line with government’s target of processing at least 50 percent of Ghana’s cocoa locally.

The policy, announced by President John Dramani Mahama, seeks to strengthen the cocoa value chain, create jobs, and boost economic growth through increased domestic processing of cocoa.

The initiative is expected to be achieved by enhancing the capacity of local processors to convert raw cocoa into semi-finished and finished products for both domestic use and export.

This development emerged during a working visit by the Managing Director of the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC), Dr Wisdom Kofi Dogbey, to WAMCo in Takoradi to assess the company’s preparedness for the policy implementation.

The visit also formed part of broader efforts to align industry stakeholders with ongoing reforms, including CMC’s “Project Elevate,” which aims to promote the export of semi-finished cocoa products.

The engagement is part of CMC’s strategy to deepen value addition within the cocoa sector, expand export opportunities, and strengthen collaboration with processors to enhance the industry’s contribution to the national economy.

Dr Dogbey said strong commitment from both government and industry players would be essential to ensure the success of the policy and improve Ghana’s competitiveness on the global market.

He inspected WAMCo’s processing capacity, infrastructure, and operational readiness, stressing the importance of preparing facilities to handle increased output and meet higher quality standards.

“It is crucial that we prepare our processing facilities to handle the increased capacity and quality standards which will come with the reform,” he stated.

He added that the initiative requires collective effort across the entire value chain, noting: “This is not just a government initiative; it is a collective responsibility that requires the active participation of all stakeholders.”

Discussions during the visit also focused on production targets, pricing mechanisms, market demand, technological upgrades, and quality certification requirements needed to support the planned expansion.

WAMCo management outlined ongoing efforts to improve certifications and upgrade operational efficiency to meet rising demand for semi-finished cocoa products.