It appears manufacturers of locally produced chocolates will have to double their production levels at least for this year’s edition of the National Chocolate Day.
It follows what could be described as the increased preference for locally manufactured chocolates by some Ghanaians on the occasion of National Chocolate Day.
Checks by Citi Business News indicate that Ghanaians are gradually showing much interest in consuming locally produced chocolates than foreign ones.
Today, February 14, 2018, marks eleven years since the introduction of the National Chocolate Day.
An initiative of former Tourism Minister, the Late Jake Otanka Obetsebi Lamptey, the day is largely to create awareness and increase consumption of locally made chocolate products.
Some consumers spoke to Citi Business News on their preferences.
“I prefer the locally made chocolates for Valentine’s Day because it is rich in cocoa but the foreign ones are a bit creamier you do not really get the richness of the cocoa,” one stated.
Another remarked, “I prefer the local ones to the foreign ones because they are nicer, richer and I also appreciate our own things.”
“The feeling of the local chocolate is so amazing and I am just going in for the locally manufactured ones,” a third consumer stressed.
Indeed the Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture, Catherine Afeku at a recent media briefing outlined plans to repeat the distribution of locally produced chocolates at the airport to mark the day.
“As an entity, we decided to give each and every person boarding, entering, embarking or arriving in Ghana for the first time, the world acclaimed brown chocolate of Ghana. The initiative was massively received and we intend to repeat it on the 14th of February under the theme, “Eat Ghana, Eat Chocolate,”
The Cocoa Processing Company is one of the major producers of chocolates in Ghana.
Its Managing Director, Nana Agyenim Boateng tells Citi Business News his outfit has been able to produce at least ten thousand cartons of the various sizes of chocolates for today’s occasion.
This he says excludes production recorded for Tuesday and Wednesday (February 13th and 14th respectively).
“Another 1200 cartons that we have released for the gift boxes to be distributed; we have also released 2,200 cartons of the 50 grams aside that we have also done customised chocolates for corporate institutions, airlines, hotels and other institutions and that also we have done over 500 cartons of that of the 50 grams,” he explained.
Not all, the CPC is also advancing plans to reduce the price of chocolate substantially in the short to medium term.
This Nana Agyenim Boateng explains will largely depend on the creation of a separate entity for the manufacturing of confectionaries.
This year’s National Chocolate Day is on the theme, “Eat Ghana, Eat Chocolate”.
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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana