Speaking at the media launch in Tema the President of the Company, Harold Poelma, admitted that higher cocoa prices will have positive impact on farmers as they will be able to invest to yield more however lower prices will equally affect production.
He said the success of Cargill hinges on the activities of farmers whose cocoa beans are purchased for production. Mr. Poelma commended COCOBOD for realizing the need to maintain the quality of Ghana’s cocoa beans on the international market. Mr. Poelma expressed the hope that prices of cocoa will be much more stable.
Mr. Poelma stated that the Company will continue to collaborate with COCOBOD particularly in introducing new technologies and innovations to support cocoa farmers for a more efficient supply chain.
He said “ten years ago, we took a bold step when we opened our ultra-modern processing facility in Tema and I am honoured to be a part of this journey. I congratulate Pieter Reichert, the Managing Director of Cargill in Ghana and his team for doing an excellent job over the last decade. Through their efforts, we have been able to provide employment for 450 employees at Tema plant and more than 600 at Cargill in Ghana.”
The Managing Director of Cargill Ghana, Pieter Reichert said Ghana’s agricultural sector needs sustained investment and this is achievable through the government’s support for private entities including Cargill which has shown commitment to the Country’s cocoa sector.
He said “although we commenced operations in Ghana some 10 years ago, Cargill has been buying cocoa from Ghana for more than 40 years. Since the opening of our $100 million state-of-the-art processing facility in Tema, we have not looked back.
Mr. Reichert said year after year, they have undertaken several projects and programmes that have contributed immensely to the economy of Ghana not only in the cocoa sector but also the energy, human and community empowerment and development sectors while implementing industry best practices.
Source: Cargill