Cocobod Sign Cocoa Traceability Agreement With Fedco

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Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has signed an agreement with Federated Commodities Ltd (FEDCO), a licensed buying company and its overseas partners, Noble Resources, SA from Switzerland for the purchase of traceable and certified cocoa beans in Accra.

According to the agreement FEDCO will purchase traceable and UTZ certified cocoa beans from farmer cooperatives, deliver the beans to Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC), and then ship the produce to Noble Resources, the buyers.

In his remarks, the Chief Executive Mr. Tony Fofie lauded Fedco for the gesture, and called on all stakeholders in the cocoa industry to embrace strategies that will help improve the incomes and livelihoods of farmers.

Cocoa traceability involves investigating the origin of cocoa beans to ensure that they are legitimately sourced whilst cocoa certification demands that a farmer?s social, environmental and economic activities fall in line with best labour practices; in exchange for a premium price on the produce.

For successful implementation of the UTZ certification project, all the partners (Noble Resources, FEDCO and West Africa Fair Fruits (WAFF)) should collaborate to train farmers in good agronomic practices, integrated pest and crop management and adhere to other environmentally friendly standards to increase their yield.

Currently, FEDCO has put in place an implementation programme in the cocoa growing communities in Ahafo Ano and South Districts of Ashanti.

Cited in the agreement are modalities for the sharing of the premium on the traceable cocoa, and the creation of Traceable Foundation fund where the premium received from the overseas buyers will be lodged and utilized to provide health facilities, potable water, education and other social amenities for the communities involved.

Present at the short ceremony were, Nana ? Oduro Owusu, Managing Director, CMC, Mr. Charles Amenyaglo, Senior Legal Manager, COCOBOD, Mr. Abdul Razak Adamu, Managing Director, FEDCO, Mr. Graham Laird, Noble Resources, Mr. Charles E. Watson, Noble Resources and Mr. Patrick Nyarko, Finance Manager, FEDCO.

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