Italy is seeking to support Ghana’s efforts to modernise cocoa production and expand local processing through a proposal to establish a 3,000-hectare mechanised cocoa development zone.
The proposal was presented to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) when the Italian Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Laura Ranalli, led a delegation of prospective investors from BF International, Italy’s largest agricultural group with operations across Africa, to explore investment opportunities in Ghana’s cocoa sector.
The proposed development zone is expected to combine modern agricultural technology with industrial processing as Ghana seeks to increase the amount of cocoa processed locally.
Ambassador Ranalli said the initiative formed part of Italy’s Cocoa Connect Initiative, which seeks to bring together public institutions, private investors and scientific organisations to transform Ghana’s cocoa industry.
She said the initiative was aimed at supporting Ghana to move beyond the export of raw cocoa beans and develop the capacity to produce semi-finished and finished chocolate products.
The Ambassador said the proposed 3,000-hectare mechanised cocoa zone would provide a platform for technology-driven production and industrial value addition.
“We are ready to facilitate new partnerships between the Italian agribusiness community and COCOBOD to promote Ghana’s cocoa industry,” she said.
Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Dr Ransford Anertey Abbey, welcomed the proposal and assured the investors of the Board’s institutional, agronomic and technical support.
He said the direct investment by BF International presented an opportunity to strengthen Ghana’s position in the global cocoa value chain.
Dr Abbey said local value addition remained a major priority for COCOBOD and the government, stressing that Ghana needed to increase the processing and value of its cocoa domestically.
He said COCOBOD would establish a specialised team of experts to provide the research, agronomic and technical support required to facilitate the successful implementation of the proposed investment.
The proposed partnership is expected to bring together Italy’s expertise in agribusiness and technology and Ghana’s experience as a major cocoa-producing country.
If implemented, the project could support the modernisation of cocoa production, expand local processing, create jobs and increase the value generated from Ghana’s cocoa exports.
