From left: Prof Joshua Yindenaba Abor, Dean of UGBS, Dr. G. J. Anim-Kwapong, Executive Director, CRIG, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice-Chancellor, UG, Osabarima Kwame Otu Darte III, Omanhene of the Akuapem-Mampong traditional area, Dr. Kwasi Dartey-Baah, Chair, Planning Committee, Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Lectures, and the Chief Linguist of Akuapem-Mampong traditional area.
The fifth Tetteh Quarshie Memorial lecture ended with a call on all stakeholders to work assiduously to preserve the cocoa heritage. This year’s lecture, which was chaired by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu and Osabarima Kwame Otu Darte III, Omanhene of the Akuapem-Mampong traditional area, was on the theme ‘Advancing the Ghanaian Cocoa Industry through Local Production and Tourism,’. The lecture took place at the R.S. Amegashie Auditorium of the University of Ghana Business School.
Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister for Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts
Addressing the audience, the Guest of Honour Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister for Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts, said that the cocoa industry forms an integral part of Ghana’s tourism and there is therefore the need to promote it alongside other tourist products and sites. She added that if a strong partnership exists between government and cocoa tourism stakeholders, it will enhance cocoa production in the long term. The aim of such a partnership, she argued, will be to ensure that cocoa tourism is well positioned for changes in the complex and competitive global market. Mrs. Ofosu-Adjare maintained that these partnerships should be based on trust and collective efforts in the transformation process of the cocoa industry. She was pleased that for the past two years her ministry has exhibited cocoa products particularly chocolates at international conferences.
Dr. Anim-Kwapong, Executive Director, CRIG
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. G. J. Anim-Kwapong, Executive Director of the Cocoa Research Institute Ghana (CRIG) said that cocoa is a $2.5 billion industry in Ghana and is still the backbone of the country’s economy, despite the existence of oil and gas. He noted that in 2013 cocoa contributed about $3billion to the economy as compared to $700,000 million from the oil and gas industry. Thus, cocoa is the highest export crop earner for the country.
Anim-Kwapong describing the cocoa butter soap
Dr. Anim-Kwapong enumerated the difficulties the sector faces, such as pests and diseases, aged farmers, declining soil fertility, and lack of interest in cocoa farming by the youth. He identified low productivity as Ghana’s greatest challenge. For example, Ghana produces about 25% below what Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana’s major competitor, produces.
According to Dr. Anim-Kwapong, Cocobod has initiated strategies and measures to tackle the challenges facing the industry.
The family representative
Osabarima Kwame Otu Darte III, Omanhene of the Akuapem-Mampong traditional area, Co-Chair for the lecture, attributed the overcrowding and high unemployment amongst the youth in Accra to the lack of basic social amenities such as electricity and potable water in cocoa producing areas. He appealed to government and all stakeholders to provide these areas with basic amenities to curb the rural-urban migration which he said had a negative impact on faming. A representative of Tetteh Quarshie’s family reminded stakeholders to fulfill their responsibilities to the family by supporting them with educational scholarships, by helping to renovate Tetteh Quarshie’s houses, and by helping the family to preserve the estate of Tetteh Quarshie.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice-Chancellor of University of Ghana and Co-Chair of the lecture, challenged academics to take up a project on the preservation of the Ghana’s cocoa heritage.
A section of the audience receiving the soaps
Dr. Anim-Kwapong later distributed cocoa products: chocolates for diabetics, cocoa butter soap, and cocoa body pomade to the audience present.
The annual Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Lectures is organized by the University of Ghana Business School with support from stakeholders in the cocoa industry to honour the memory of Tetteh Quarshie, who introduced cocoa to Ghana. The lectures provide a platform for informed discussions on the future of the cocoa industry in Ghana.
