Sports Minister (2nd R) with the author and other dignitaries displaying copies of the book
Accra 2023 Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chairman and Business Management Consultant, Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, has entreated the government to take a keen interest in and invest in the cocoa industry to ensure its sustainability.
To him, the cocoa industry has been a pillar of the Ghanaian economy since the pre-colonial era.
At the launch of his book on developing Ghana’s cocoa sector, titled “Ghana’s Cocoa Industry: The Role of the State,” he mentioned areas the government needs to take control of while providing incentives for farmers.
“Ghana has been built on the strength of cocoa farming. When I was doing my research, I learned that cocoa farmers were taxed at 44% while we taxed diamonds at 0.10%. So if you consider all the things that cocoa farmers have done and the importance of the cocoa industry, I think that if the state doesn’t get itself involved in the area of quality control, in the area of providing incentives for cocoa farmers, replacing the old trees and encouraging the youth to take over from the old, and the issue of getting better pricing on the international market, the industry will collapse.
“So I think the state has an important role, and we should not kid ourselves that we have oil and others. Those are not as sustainable as the cocoa industry,” he stated.
Dr. Ofosu-Asare used his cocoa farming background to describe Ghana’s cocoa journey while also proposing a blueprint for how government engagement and market processes might secure the cocoa industry’s success in his book.
The event took place on November 6, 2024, at the Labadi Beach Hotel.
“This book is very important. I find it extremely important because of the important role of the state regarding the sustainability of the industry. If you consider the challenges of the industry, without the state playing an important role, the industry is going to collapse. This is an industry that has sustained the country from the pre-colonial, during the colonial days, and after the colonial era,” he told the media.
He commended the current government for increasing fees for cutting down old trees and distributing free hybrid seedlings, which he believes has triggered a significant change in the industry.
Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare concluded by suggesting the building of a cocoa farm tutorial centre at the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, with a museum to properly honour Tetteh Quarshie, who is touted as the father of cocoa in Ghana.
Following the book launch, over 30 copies were sold at the event, with the first-ever copy sold for GH¢100,000. President Nana Akufo-Addo, former President Kufuor, and the Sports Minister all made donations to support the book.