The Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) has commenced the road show for its syndicated loan for this year in London.
Cocobod, the regulator of the cocoa industry in Ghana is seeking to raise 1.6 billion dollars to purchase cocoa from farmers in the upcoming season.
Last year Cocobod signed a 1.2 billion dollar syndicated loan from international banks for the 2013/14 cocoa crop purchases.
The offer for 1.2 billion dollars was oversubscribed by about 75percent.
Early on Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Dr Henry Kofi Wampah told Citi Business News the increased figure is as a result of a higher projection of cocoa yield this year.
‘This year we are expecting a bigger crop yield the cocoa syndicated loan will be much higher, at least by 50 percent’.
Ghana is the world’s second largest cocoa exporter after Ivory Coast.
It aims to raise its production to an average of 1 million tonnes annually from 800,000 tonnes through improved farming methods and better incentives.
Meanwhile purchases of the 2014 Light Crop Season will commence from Friday, 4th July, 2014.
According to Cocobod the producer price to be paid at all buying centres is Two Hundred and Twelve Ghana Cedis (GH¢212.00) per bag of 64 kilograms.
A tonne of cocoa is Three Thousand, Three Hundred and Ninety Two Ghana Cedis (GH¢3,392.00).
By: Rabiu Alhassan/citifmonline.com/Ghana