The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has taken extra steps to combatting cocoa smuggling in the country.
Currently, COCOBOD is working to offer cash rewards to those who report smuggling and implementing a “catch and share” system where informants receive a portion of the seized cocoa.
Stephen Fiifi Boafo, Head of Public Affairs at COCOBOD, revealed these measures, stating, “The first step to deter smuggling is to announce a reward that makes it less appealing.
Additionally, we are fully implementing a revised ‘catch and share’ arrangement, where individuals who provide information leading to smuggling arrests will receive a significant portion of the seized cocoa’s value.”
Earlier reports indicated that between 100,000 and 200,000 metric tonnes of cocoa beans had been lost to smuggling activities from Ghana to neighboring countries like Togo and Cote D’Ivoire.
COCOBOD’s Chief Executive Officer, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, expressed concern about the impact of these illegal activities on Ghana’s cocoa output and the economy.
He suggested that the scale of smuggling indicated involvement from high-powered individuals, as it exceeded what individual cocoa farmers could transport.
Touching on the smuggling of fertilser used for cocoa farming, the COCOBOD CEO said government is looking to review its fertilser policy by removing government subsidies to allow for cost of the cocoa to be added to the price for farmers.
“The free supply of fertiliser has intensified smuggling of the product, we have held meetings with the farmers to accept to buy the fertiliser themselves,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ghana has set October to commence the 2023/2024 crop season for cocoa farming.