Ivory Coast & Ghana: World’s Top Cocoa producers partner for Increases; SOAD on board

#IvoryCoast – September 26, 2020 — Workers in the cocoa industry of Ghana and the Ivory Coast should begin to earn higher salaries in October; a 2018 agreement struck between the countries which are the world’s top producers of cocoa is beginning to bear fruit.

The Price Agreement, signed in March 2018 was chiefly aimed at ending price competition and levelling what the marketplace pays for cocoa from either Ghana or the Ivory Coast.

It is working, and can hopefully boost income from just three percent of the global chocolate industry revenue, to a figure commensurate with the level of production.

The International Cocoa Organization published in 2017, that the chocolate industry recorded $22 billion of trade. The Ivory Coast earned scraps; a mere $3.3 billion when it produces 44 percent of the world’s cocoa.

The State of the African Diaspora, SOAD is not only monitoring the progresses of the Price Agreement and the strategies being undertaken to ensure African nations can convert highest production into highest earnings, but it has a multi-talented farmer in the field.

“His Excellency, the man in front of you, is a medical doctor, a farmer, a city mayor and a chancellor of African Kings and African Leaders. Since the Declaration of The Sixth Region of Africa, the State of African Diaspora has been officially created on July 1st 2018, at the 31st Summit of the African Union, in Noaktchot in Mauritania.   

His Excellency Dr Roland Goprou has been appointed by The Prime Minister of The State of African Diaspora, His Excellency George-Louis Tin as the First Roving Ambassador of Africa. 

As an Ivorian, His Excellency Roland Goprou, according to the saying: ‘Charity starts at home’ has decided to take the four Mano River Countries as his stronghold.  Since last year he has been travelling in those countries: Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia to present his accreditation letter to the different governments,” said Professor Bertin Amissale, speaking at the introduction of Dr. Goprou on May 25, 2020.

His Excellency Dr Roland Goprou runs a successful cocoa operation along the Mano River and approved the declaration signed between Alassane Ouattara, Ivorian President and Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana.

“This agreement will benefit us because there will be a price stability.  Two heads of state finally agree to practice the same prices in Ghana and the Ivory Coast will be a sigh of relief to producers because it will prevent the illegal selling of our various products,” said His Excellency, Dr. Goprou who has actioned scholarships for 1,000 Liberian youth from the State of the African Diaspora and who is advancing a potable water project for the Mano River countries.

SOAD is recognized by the 47-year old Mano River Union, (MRU) which synergises protective and developmental efforts for the countries of Ivory Coast, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, where the MRU is headquartered.

“Also good news for producers, on September 24, Youssouf Fadiga, Director General of Ivorian National Bank said support will increase by eight percent compared to the previous campaign, and will be for cooperative societies, businesses and operators in the coffee-cocoa sector in order to enable them to finance more easily their purchases.  A 2020-2021 marketing campaign is also set to be launched in a matter of days on October 1,” informed His Excellency as he rehashed a major announcement by the Ivorian National Bank (BNI) which has earmarked nearly $200 million to support coffee and cocoa farming. 

Other plans of these top tier cocoa producers, via the 2018 Agreement, is to boost harvest,  expand storage capacity, potentially venture into cocoa paste production and collaborate to protect cocoa crops from swollen-shoot disease.