The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has asked the public to disregard false interpretations given to a recent permit granted a local cocoa processing company to import cocoa beans from Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria. COCOBOD, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, said it was 'an industry practice' to allow factories to import cocoa beans from other countries. COCOBOD in a letter dated January 25, 2024, approved a request by Afrotropic Cocoa Processing Company to import a total of 3,500 tonnes of cocoa beans from Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria. It also asked Afrotropic Cocoa Processing Company to obtain all necessary authorisations from relevant State institutions before commencing the importation. Some stakeholders in the cocoa industry and others have raised issues about the approval, asking why the world's second largest cocoa-producing country be importing cocoa beans? COCOBOD, in its response, said: 'All processing companies in Ghana established post November 2001 are permitted by law to import cocoa be ans for processing in Ghana.' The practice, according to COCOBOD, was to 'help the companies meet their desired recipes for chocolate production and other uses. 'Ghana's cocoa is a premium cocoa, and as part of cost management and operational strategy, companies often blend premium Ghana cocoa with less premium cocoa beans from other producing countries. 'It is an industry practice that?has existed for over 20 years to allow factories to import from other countries, including Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Nigeria, and Ecuador,' the statement said. COCOBOD, therefore, urged the public to ignore the 'widespread misinformation', especially on social media. Source: Ghana News Agency