Olam’s Senior Cocoa Trader, Vignesh Thirukonda, praised Ghana’s top cocoa farmers for producing beans of consistent quality, distinctive flavour and excellent fermentation, qualities that keep Ghanaian cocoa highly prized abroad.
Thirukonda made the comments during an educational tour in the United Kingdom, where a delegation of national best cocoa farmers, accompanied by Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) officials, visited Olam’s UK facilities. The visit aimed to broaden the farmers’ understanding of the global cocoa industry, chocolate production and the importance of maintaining Ghana’s reputation for high‑quality cocoa.
During the tour, Thirukonda highlighted Olam’s global operations in cocoa purchasing, processing, logistics and sustainability. He stressed the need for close collaboration among farmers, COCOBOD, the government and private‑sector partners to address sector challenges and sustain Ghana’s competitiveness in the world market.
COCOBOD Head of Public Affairs, Lawyer Jerome K. Sam, thanked Olam for hosting the national best cocoa farmers and urged the company to consider qualified young people from cocoa‑growing communities for future employment. Sam also called for ongoing knowledge sharing to help farmers explore value‑addition opportunities such as small‑scale chocolate production.
Farmers seized the chance to share their practices. Madam Cecilia Adeb, the 2025 Most Enterprising Female Cocoa Farmer, explained how regular weeding, pruning, fertiliser use and gradual replacement of old trees keep her farm productive. She also noted careful post‑harvest handling, using a stick instead of a knife to open pods and drying beans under natural sunlight to preserve quality.
Edward Kwame Yeboah, the 2025 National Best Cocoa Farmer, credited COCOBOD’s extension support and adherence to recommended practices—pruning, pollination, organic manure and fertilisation—for achieving yields of 25 to 26 bags per hectare.
The engagement underscored the pivotal role of cocoa farmers in Ghana’s industry and the need for sustained collaboration to preserve quality, competitiveness and long‑term sustainability.
