The Cocoa Processing Company (CPC) has welcomed Cabinet’s directive that at least 50 per cent of Ghana’s cocoa beans should be processed locally.

Mr Osei Kwame Griffiths, Deputy Managing Director (Operations) of CPC, speaking on behalf of the Managing Director, described the decision as “a bold and timely step” toward deepening value addition within Ghana’s cocoa value chain.

Speaking to the media as part of activities marking the 2026 National Chocolate Day, he said the directive was in line with government’s renewed focus on processing raw materials locally rather than exporting them in their unprocessed state.

“We at CPC are very excited to receive this news. It reflects the hard work of our board and management, as well as the strong political commitment from government to move in this very important direction,” he said.

Mr Griffiths explained that processing cocoa locally into semi-finished products—such as cocoa liquor, butter and cake—and finished confectionery would create multiple layers of employment along the value chain.

He noted that each additional stage of processing generates jobs, from transportation to grinding, packaging and marketing.

Instead of exporting raw beans, he said, local processing supports value addition, job creation and income retention within the domestic economy.

He emphasised that most of Ghana’s cocoa exports were already in semi-finished form, owing to the superior quality of Ghanaian cocoa, which is widely recognised in the global market due to the country’s careful fermentation and drying processes.

Mr Griffiths added that Ghanaian cocoa remained among the best in the world, with consistent demand, although local processors had long faced challenges with processing capacity and bean availability.

He therefore welcomed government’s assurance that bean supply would no longer pose a constraint, describing the move as a major boost to domestic processors.

Touching on confectionery production, he said that while CPC exported some specialised chocolate products, most exports were still in semi-finished form due to climatic conditions that affect the texture of finished chocolate products.

He disclosed that CPC currently produces between 700 and 1,000 cartons of chocolate daily—primarily 100-gram bars—and is preparing to more than double this output in the coming months through the installation of new machinery and the refurbishment of existing equipment.

Expanding local processing, he added, would not only increase foreign exchange earnings but also strengthen Ghana’s competitiveness in the global cocoa value chain.

Minister of Finance Dr Cassiel Ato Forson recently announced that Cabinet had approved the directive for at least 50 per cent of Ghana’s cocoa beans to be processed locally, beginning from the 2026/227 crop season.

As part of the National Chocolate Day celebration, CPC also received students from selected basic schools for a guided tour of its factory.