Two JoyNews journalists have been shortlisted to receive the ultimate award in the maiden Ghana Cocoa Awards instituted to celebrate outstanding achievement in the cocoa sector.

Justice Baidoo and Ina-Thalia Quansah are two of the five journalists shortlisted for the Cocoa Reporting Journalist Of The Year.

They were selected after a careful evaluation of over 161 entries received from individuals, companies and institutions operating within the country’s cocoa value chain.

Finalists for the various competitive categories of the awards were announced by the organisers, VC Media on Wednesday.

“The Ghana Cocoa Awards Jury is presently working around the clock to deliver the ultimate winners for all categories to be announced only at the Awards Gala Night” scheduled for November 22 in Accra, a statement by the founder of the awards, Kojo Hayford, said.

In all about 30 competitive categories will be awarded on the night aside that some six organisations and individuals will also receive special awards on the night for “their stellar contribution to the premium Ghana cocoa brand”.

“We recognise by this initiative that it is the hard work and dedication of the Ghanaian cocoa farmer working in concert with industry that delivers the peerless world-acclaimed premium quality Ghana cocoa, hence this initiative to honour them,” Mr Hayford added.

Full list below

GHANA COCOA AWARDS 2019 FINALISTS

1. MOST FORMALISED COCOA COOPERATIVE OF THE YEAR
   • KO EYELE COOPERATIVE COCOA FARMERS
   • KUKUOM AGL COOPERATIVE COCOA FARMERS
   • BIA WEST COOPERATIVE COCOCA FARMERS
   • ASUNAFO NORTH COCOA COOPERATIVE
   • COCOA ABRABOPA ASSOCIATION

2. COCOA SUSTAINABILITY LITERACY AWARD (ESSAY CONTEST)

• LOIS OSEI-SEKYERE – ABURI GIRLS’ SHS
• JULIET DONKOH – BREMAN ASIKUMA SHS
• PATRICK ELORM AMEEVOR – MFANTSIPIM SCHOOL

3. COCOA REPORTING JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

• INA-THALIA QUANSAH – JOY NEWS
• EDWARD ADJEI FRIMPONG – BUSINESS & FINANCIAL TIMES
• MAXWELL AKALAARE ADOMBILA – DAILY GRAPHIC
• JUSTICE BAIDOO – JOY NEWS
• EDWARD AMPORFUL – COCOBOD

4. LICENSED BUYING COMPANY OF THE YEAR

• AGROECOM GHANA LTD
• NYONKOPA COCOA BUYING COMPANY

5. BEST HAULIER OF THE YEAR
   • AMP LOGISTICS GHANA LTD
   • KITEKO GHANA LTD

6. AGRO INPUT OF THE YEAR – FERTILIZER

• YARA
• OMNIFERT
• BEGREEN ORGANIC

7. AGRO INPUT OF THE YEAR – CHEMICALS

• RMG GHANA LTD
• ROCKSTAR (CROP DOCTOR GHANA LTD

8. AGRO INPUT OF THE YEAR – FARM IMPLEMENT

• COCOA ABOYE
• SHARP POWER 4T (CROP DOCTOR GHANA LTD)

9. TERTIARY COCOA PROCESSING COMPANY OF THE YEAR

• NICHE COCOA INDUSTRY LTD
• COCOA PROCESSING COMPANY LTD

10. ARTISANAL COCOA PROCESSING COMPANY

• DECOKRAFT LTD
• MI-COCOA (OHENE COCOA)

11. CHOCOLATE BRAND OF THE YEAR (LARGE SCALE)

• NICHE CHOCOLATE
• GOLDEN TREE

12. CHOCOLATE BRAND OF THE YEAR (ARTISANAL)

• DECOKRAFT CHOCOLATE – DECOKRAFT LTD
• BOSS BAKER CHOCOLATE COOKIE – DAILY FOOD LTD
• ADANSI BAR – ADANSI SWEET COMPANY

13. COCOA BEVERAGE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

• GOLDCOAST NATURAL COCOA POWDER
• ROYALE NATURAL COCOA POWDER – CPC
• KOA COCOA JUICE – TASTE COCOA GHANA
• COCOA FRUIT JUICE – VOLTA WINERY
• ALLTIME COCOA DRINK – CPC

14. COCOA COSMETICS PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

• BEAUTY SECRETS – SOLUTIONS OASIS LTD
• COCOA RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF GHANA (CRIG)

15. MOST INNOVATIVE COCOA PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

• ADANSI BAR
• KOA COCOA JUICE
• COCOA WINE (VOLTA WINERY)
• OHENE COCOA ECOTOURISM

16. PACKAGING INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

• GOLDCOAST NATURAL COCOA POWDER
• BOSS BAKER CHOCOLATE COOKIE
• OHENE COCOA PREMIUM COCOA NIBS
• COCOA WINE (VOLTA WINERY)
• NICHE CHOCOLATE

17. COMMUNITY ENERGY INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
    • ZOLA (ZEGHA ENERGY LTD)
    • NYONKOPA COCOA BUYING LTD

18. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF THE YEAR

• MICHAEL HINNEH

GHENT UNIVERSITY, BELGIUM

• COCOA RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF GHANA (CRIG)
• SHARP POWER 4T (CROP DOCTOR)

19. TECHNOLOGY FOR COCOA VALUE CHAIN OF THE YEAR

• FARMLOGICS TECHNOLOGIES PVT LTD
• TASTE COCOA GHANA
• EMPOWER (ECOM GHANA)
• COCOA ABOYE

20. COCOA CONSUMPTION PROMOTION AMBASSADOR

• NANA ADUNA II – CEO, MI-COCOA (OHENE COCOA)
• DR EDWARD AMPORFUL – CHIEF PHARMACIST, COCOA CLINIC (COCOBOD)
• JOSEPH BOAHEN AIDOO – CHIEF EXECUTIVE, GHANA COCOA BOARD

21. COCOA NGO OF THE YEAR

• COCOA360
• SOLIDARIDAD WEST AFRICA

22. COCOA SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR
    • FAIRTRADE AFRICA
    • MASO YOUTH PROGRAMME
    • OTUMFO AGROECOM MOBILE LEARNING PROJECT
    • NYONKOPA COCOA BUYING
    • COCOA LIFE (MONDELEZ)

23. SUSTAINABILITY PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

• YAA PEPRAH AMEKUDZI – COUNTRY LEAD, COCOA LIFE (MONDELEZ)
• ISAAC GYAMFI – REGIONAL DIRECTOR, SOLIDARIDAD WEST AFRICA
• OLGA GORMALOVA – HEAD OF PROJECTS, AGROECOM GHANA LTD

24. COCOA ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

• MICHAEL ZORMELO – CEO, OMNIFERT LTD
• AKUA OBENEWAA DONKOR – CEO, DECOKRAFT LIMITED
• NANA ADUNA II – CEO, MI-COCOA (OHENE COCOA)
• HARRISON PAUL ADJIMAH – FOUNDER, VOLTA WINERY
• EDMUND POKU

CEO, NICHE COCOA INDUSTRY LTD

25. THE TETTEH QUARSHIE COCOA PERSONALITY

• ABRAHAM DWUMA ODOOM – MP, TWIFO ATTI MORKWA CONSTITUENCY (CR)
• ISAAC GYAMFI – REGIONAL DIRECTOR, SOLIDARIDAD WEST AFRICA
• JOSEPH BOAHEN AIDOO – CHIEF EXECUTIVE, GHANA COCOA BOARD