COCOBOD urged to find market for waste produce

Mr Divine Agboadah, a Programme Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Friday called on the Ghana Cocoa Board to market spoilt cocoa in Ghana and West Africa where it forms an important ingredient in the preparation of detergents and body creams.

He made the suggestion when a large quantity of waste cocoa beans being smuggled from the Western Region to Togo and Benin was burnt at the Nyive Border Post where it was seized by personnel of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

Mr Agboadah said such spoilt cocoa described by the Quality Control Division of Cocobod as “waste cocoa and insect infested” because of its poor quality could increase cocoa revenue for the country.

Mr Emmanuel Hammond, Principal Collector of Customs in charge of Nyive Border Post, said the 136 maxi-bags of the waste cocoa were seized in July 2010.

He said the Division spent about 800 Ghana cedis on the storage, handling and destruction of the waste cocoa since the time it was arrested.

Mr Hammond said the Customs Division needed the support of Cocobod in combating cocoa smuggling.

Source: GNA