The Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry Designate, Nana Dokua Asiamah Adjei has expressed the view that Ghana has no authority to stop any country interested in growing cocoa from doing so, most especially China.

According to her, “If we know the history of how cocoa got to Ghana, then if Fernando Po could not stop Ghana from growing Cocoa, Ghana cannot stop any other country from growing Cocoa.”

Her comment was in reaction to a question posed by James Agalga, Member of Parliament for Builsa North, about Ghana’s plans in the face of China growing and exporting cocoa beans to the European market.

Nana Dokua Asiamah Adjei who was being vetted by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on, June 4, stated that the only thing Ghana could do about China’s new venture, is to improve on our own cocoa beans.

She said, “What matters is how we are able to make ours better. Fortunately we have comparative advantage, which is our geographical location, right around the Meridian and around the Equator.

“This gives us the fine aggregate of cocoa that we have here in Ghana which is the most demanded on the world market. So the other thing is to add value to it to create employment for our people.”

She stated that should Ghana continue to heavily depend on the exportation of cocoa beans to the European market, China could deal a heavy blow to the country. She therefore suggested a continuation of the country’s industrialization drive to add value to the country’s cocoa beans.

“Initially, we were exporting the raw cocoa beans, if we are still exporting the raw cocoa beans as it was and then now China became a competitor in exporting the raw cocoa beans, then we should be worried.

“But for a few years now, it has been the President’s idea for us to add value to the cocoa and I think that moves us to a higher step than where China is.”

Nana Dokua added that it was even a great opportunity for Ghana that China was going into cocoa production.

She was optimistic this could encourage the Chinese people to develop a taste for Chocolate which could eventually open up the larger Chinese market to Ghanaian cocoa beans.

“It is even better. For China, a population of about 1 billion or more, to develop the taste for cocoa. So if they also develop the taste for the cocoa then eventually, when they try the better cocoa beans we have here, the most demanded for, the one that cannot be compared to any other country, I’m sure they’ll start buying from us as well,” she said.