COCOBOD welcomes Brazilian technology to boost cocoa productivity

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has signed a Declaration of Intent to Cooperate with ApexBrasil and the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, reinforcing bilateral collaboration in the cocoa sector.

The agreement was formalised during a high-level meeting at Cocoa House in Accra, as part of a Brazilian Presidential Mission to Africa.

Leading the Brazilian delegation was Her Excellency Marirana Madeira, Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana, alongside officials from ApexBrasil and the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture.

They engaged COCOBOD’s Acting Chief Executive and his management team in discussions aimed at enhancing technical and economic cooperation between the two nations.

Key topics included leveraging Brazilian technology to boost cocoa productivity, sharing best practices in disease management and fostering research partnerships between Brazil’s cocoa sector and the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG).

The meeting also addressed global cocoa market dynamics and the need for closer collaboration among the world’s five largest cocoa producers – Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Brazil, Nigeria and Ecuador.

The discussions emphasised efforts to improve farmer incomes and promote sustainability within the cocoa value chain.

Scientific co-operation was another focal point with both parties exploring joint research on cocoa flavour profiling and disease management strategies.

Specifically, they discussed tackling Witches’ Broom disease in Brazil and Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) in Ghana.

Additionally, the Brazilian delegation expressed interest in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire’s Living Income Differential (LID) of $400 per tonne, a model designed to secure better earnings for cocoa farmers.

The signing of the Declaration of Intent marks a significant step towards strengthening Ghana-Brazil relations in cocoa production, advancing sustainable farming practices and deepening research collaborations to benefit the sector globally.

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