By Dr. Kofi Amponsah Bediako, Expert in Development Communications.
As a commodity, cocoa has played an essential role in the economic development of Ghana. It has been able to contribute tremendously to the economic growth of the country by employing farmers in the cocoa industry. In addition, Cocoa has also been able to provide the needed support services to the industry in the form of agro-chemical supply and their relevant application. As a result the cocoa industry has been able to support the economy of Ghana since independence. The economy of Ghana cannot, therefore, be assessed without a critical look at the contribution and relevance of cocoa to the development of the country. However, there is still a long way to go when it comes to processing cocoa before export to the external market. This is what is expected to bring in the needed value- addition to the country. It is in the light of this that the commissioning of the cocoa plant in Tema is significant.
President Akufo-Addo last week commissioned a US$13 million cocoa processing plant expansion for the Cargill Cocoa Processing Company in the Tema Free Zones enclave.
The investment is expected to increase the company’s cocoa-grinding capability by 20 percent to match growing consumer demands for cocoa powder. The expanded facility will bolster the company’s annual production capacity to 90,000 tonnes and support hundreds of new direct and indirect jobs. At the commission ceremony, President Akufo-Addo commended the company for expanding its production capacity when many companies in the world were rather cutting down production.
This move is a positive development which will enhance the economic outlook of the country. For this reason, the company, as well as the government, deserve to be commended for a good work done. Indeed, this is part of the agenda to transform the economy and establish the company in line with Ghana- Beyond- Aid mantra. For over forty years Cargill has been sourcing cocoa from Ghana and in 2008 opened its state-of-the-art, Cocoa processing facilities in Tema.
Today the company has about 250 employees who process cocoa products to service food and confectionary customers not only locally but also around the world. Prior to this in 2016 Cargill added a Licensed Buying Company(LBC) to its Ghanaian footprint. The LBC operations bring innovative trade for our farmers placing emphasis on our sustainability and traceability efforts. This shows that Cargill in Ghana has put in place useful economic activities in the country. Apart from being a Licensed Buying Company. It is also engaged in the production of cocoa products including cocoa butter, cake and powder as part of its corporate social responsibility, Cargill builds new Schools and School infrastructure.
The company is therefore playing a useful role in the economic development of the country and the government needs to commend it for a good work done. We expect the company to work hard in line with the vision of the president to ensure that the country moves forward to achieve greater laurels. As a business entity, Cargill can achieve this if it continues to work hard and re-organize itself as an efficient and effective organization. The challenges are many but we expect the management to open its doors to all its customers and also take suggestions from its partners and use them appropriately for the good of the company. If this is done, the sky will be the limit. The transformation of an economy such as that of Ghana is not an easy task but when the right policies are put in place the intended result will be achieved. This explains why Cargill must continue its investment into a sustainability programme with all partners including the government of Ghana so that the appropriate impact will be created for the economy of Ghana. This is what the people of Ghana and their government want so the sky must be the limit.