From now till the 14 of February, 5000 school children in Tema and Accra, will enjoy a free chocolate drink in celebration of National Chocolate week. It is an annual affair and a partnership between the Ghana Tourism Authority, Cocobod and the Cocoa Processing Company.
This year, the Cocoa Processing Company is extending the free drinks to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, while making enough chocolate available for chocoholics to celebrate the week. It was 19 years ago that the National Chocolate Day was instituted.
The plan was to make it coincide with Valentine’s Day which falls on the 14th February every year to boost the domestic consumption of Ghana’s chocolate and other cocoa-based products, promote domestic tourism and give a healthy orientation to the celebration of Valentine’s Day in Ghana.
Originally a one-day event, it has now been extended to a one-week celebration where Ghana’s premium chocolate is exhibit to encourage Ghanaians to eat more chocolate and sample other cocoa products.
The chocolate week by Cocobod, CPC and the Ghana Tourism Authority is to ensure that 50% of cocoa produced annually is processed locally to support the high demand and taste for cocoa products in Ghana and beyond.
The Cocoa Board in collaboration with Cocoa Processing Company, the Ghana Tourism Authority this year has an elaborate plan to take the celebration a notch higher.
As part of the celebration, the Cocoa Processing Company will mount stands with cocoa drinks for free at all Cocobod regional office across the country and also visit schools in Accra and Tema where school children will be treated to free chocolate drink.
CPC will also be at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital to ensure that inmates also sample a chocolate treat during chocolate week.
According to the Managing Director of Cocoa Processing Company Mr. Kojo Ofori-Safo the chocolate week is also highlighting the immense economic benefits of chocolate and creating opportunities for many as CPC continues to add value to Ghana’s raw cocoa which would have been exported.
The CPC boss asked the general public to include chocolate and cocoa products in their diets especially this week considering the many benefits chocolate gives to the human body.
On the availability of chocolate and cocoa products from CPC for the week’s celebration, the Managing Director said CPC has increased production levels to meet the increasing demands of the public.
He said there is a wide variety to satisfy all taste buds and for chocoholics to get that feeling of happiness and satisfaction.
