Business News of Tuesday, 29 June 2021
Source: kingdomfmonline.com
2021-06-29
Managing Director of Cocoa Processing Company (CPC), Nana Agyenim Boateng
The Managing Director of the Cocoa Processing Company (CPC), Nana Agyenim Boateng, has encouraged Ghanaians to patronize Ghana-made products such as cocoa chocolate which will boost Ghana’s economy.
“The attitude of people living in a particular country towards the goods and services produced within that country is a key determinant of the economic growth and development of the country,” he noted.
In an interview with Kwaku Dawuro on Anopa Nkomo on Accra-based Kingdom FM, he said our responses towards made-in Ghana products and consumption of the products will determine the rate at which the economy will develop.
He noted that, in 2019, Ghana earned $1.85 billion from the export value of raw cocoa beans according to the Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) 2021.
Meanwhile, the global chocolate industry in 2019 was worth $ 137.599 billion and projected to reach $182.090 billion by 2025 according to the Global Chocolate Market Report 2020.
“It is therefore not surprising that Ghana in recent times has tried to participate in chocolate making in order to capture more gain along the global cocoa value chains,” he mentioned.
In 2019, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) signed a $600 million African Development Bank credit to transform the cocoa sector.
Some benefits of cocoa chocolate include helping to protect a person from heart disease by lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow, and preventing cell damage.
Cocoa powder also contains polyphenols, antioxidants that help to improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
He further stressed that Ghana-made cocoa chocolate has a lot of nutrients that help the body to develop and grow. “If we can buy and eat our own product I don’t think Ghana’s economy will suffer in terms of growth,” he stressed.