The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has partnered with a Swiss delegation to explore the expansion of innovative cocoa juice production at the KOA Impact facility in Achiase in the Eastern Region.
The high-level visit, led by COCOBOD Chief Executive Dr. Ransford Abbey and the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Benin and Togo, Simone Giger, focused on advancing value addition within Ghana’s cocoa sector.
The initiative centres on the extraction of cocoa “sweatings”—a liquid byproduct traditionally discarded during fermentation—which is now being processed into premium cocoa juice.
The approach creates an additional revenue stream for farmers without compromising the quality of cocoa beans.
During the visit, both parties held strategic discussions on scaling the initiative to other cocoa-growing regions, attracting foreign investment into value-added cocoa processing, and expanding the range of cocoa-based products.
Dr. Abbey described the project as transformative for the industry, emphasizing its potential to boost farmer incomes and deepen understanding of the cocoa value chain.
“This initiative is a game-changer for our farmers. It ensures that every part of the cocoa fruit contributes to economic value and supports livelihoods,” he said, adding that efforts would be made to extend the model nationwide.
Ambassador Giger also praised the project, describing it as a strong example of Swiss-Ghanaian collaboration and innovation in sustainable agriculture.
She noted that such initiatives position Ghana as a leader in environmentally responsible cocoa processing.
KOA Impact, operators of the Achiase facility, use solar-powered technology to process cocoa pulp into juice, while also creating jobs and building technical skills within the local community.
Source: Classfmonline.com
