The Ghana Tourism Authority Art’s and Culture in collaboration with the Ghana COCOBOD and other partners have launched this year’s Chocolate Week Celebration, at Mampong Akuapem in the Eastern Region.
It was under the theme “Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy, Grow Ghana” and forms part of promoting cocoa and cocoa products consumption in the country and beyond.
Speaking at the launch, the Cheif of Mampong- Akuapem, Osabarima Kwame Otuu Dartey III, expressed displeasure on the negligence of the Tetteh Quashie Cocoa Farm on the part of the government.
He lamented that no employment had been made in the sector from the community as a corporate social responsibility in honour of the legacy of the late Tetteh Quarshie with no appreciation to the family of the founding father among others.
He, therefore, called on the government to reconsider its decisions on the importance of the legend in the history of Ghana.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Information, Hon Kwadwo Oppong Nkrumah who was the Guest Speaker for the launch said the government will consider a “National Cocoa Festival” to Honour the Origin of Ghana’s Cocoa in the coming years.
He charged the media to champion the awareness campaign to make the event a fruitful one.
The Deputy Minister for Tourism, Art and Culture, Mark Okraku Mantey, stressed the good health and wealth benefits of Cocoa consumption and production in the country and encouraged all and sundry to patronize.
Available records indicate that a Ga man from Osu in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, Tetteh Quahshie brought Cocoa to Ghana in the year 1879.
Over the past 143 years, Cocoa has been the bedrock of the country’s economy since its adoption as the first commercial crop globally.
