Accra, Sept. 26, GNA – The 2018/2019 edition
of the Annual Cocoa Freight Negotiation Conference opened in Ghana to enable
stakeholders to agree on freight rates and conditions for the shipment of cocoa
for the coming season.
It is the first time in over two decades that
the conference, which marks the beginning of formal engagements between the
Cocoa Marketing Company (GH.) Ltd. (CMC), the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA)
and carriers and shipping lines, is being held in Ghana.
It would determine freight charges for the
carriage of Ghana’s cocoa beans and other cocoa products from Ghana to
destinations in Europe, the Americas, Asia, among others.
The three-day conference being hosted by the
CMC and the GSA, in collaboration with participating Shipping Lines/Agents and
supporting stakeholders, is on the theme: ‘Re-positioning Shipping in the Cocoa
Supply Chain to Advance Ghana’s Development Agenda. ”
Speaking at the opening session, Mr Joe
Forson, the Managing Director of the CMC, said the historic conference in Ghana
was borne out of the objective “to promote local participation aligned with our
national interest of a Ghana beyond Aid.”
He said in line with local participation
objectives, about 20 per cent of total cocoa exports was delivered to local
companies for production.
Mr Forson said the 2017/18 crop season had
been a challenging and interesting one on the International cocoa market after
more than 40 per cent drop in world market prices in 2016.
He said the conference would review the
2017/18 Crop Season and build on the strengths to achieve set objectives.
“The period also saw the start of direct
shipment from Kumasi. A total of 61,000mt was shipped out of Kumasi directly
into the port of Tema. This measure was very cost effective since it afforded
us the avoidance of double handling,” he said.
On the way forward for the country’s cocoa
sector, he assured participants that COCOBOD had put in place various
Productivity Enhancement Programmes, ranging from hand pollination, irrigation,
rehabilitation of infested farms and improvement in warehousing capacity to
grow the crop to 1million and above.
Besides, Ghana’s is engaged in bilateral talks
with Ivory Coast to collaborate on various fronts ranging from production and
research, marketing and processing.
Ms. Benonita Bismarck, Chief Executive Officer
of the GSA, on her part explained to shippers and agents present that the GSA
was collaborating with shipping Lines to engender openness and transparency in
the trade, for the benefit of shippers.
Nana Oduro Owusu, Deputy Chief Executive
Operations Cocobod, said the regulator was doing all it could to boost
production, not through the expansion of cocoa farms but the implementation of
various measures, including good agronomic practices to increase yield.
The conference brought together key players
and other stakeholders in the maritime and cocoa industry to brainstorm and
provide a roadmap for repositioning shipping to benefit local actors along the
cocoa value chain and ultimately the Ghanaian economy.
GNA