| BUYING
GHANA COCOA BEANS, ETC |
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Procedure For The Sale Of Cocoa Beans, Cocoa Products,
Sheanuts & Coffee
 The
Cocoa Marketing Company (Ghana) Limited is a wholly owned
subsidiary of the Ghana Cocoa Board solely responsible
for the sale of Ghana cocoa beans, cocoa liquor, butter,
cake and powder from Cocoa Processing Company (TAKSI/PORTEM
BRANDS). Other commodities sold by the Company are sheanuts
and coffee.
All sales by the Cocoa Marketing Company (Ghana) Limited
are made to firms registered by the Company as Buyers
on Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) terms without any
commission whatsoever. In special circumstance, however,
the Company can make sales on such other terms as Cost
and Insurance (C & I) and Free On Board (FOB).
Registration
Firms wishing to be registered as buyers for Cocoa beans
and Cocoa products are required:
- to apply in writing direct to the Managing Director
of the Company.
- to provide evidence that they have usefully been
employed in some capacity in the cocoa trade in a
consuming country or that they are organised in such
a way that they can effectively handle the commodity
on the International Market.
- to furnish the Company with the name(s) and address(es)
of their bankers to enable it to ascertain the firm's
financial capability of buying at least 2,500 tones
per crop year - 1st October to 30th September.
- to provide evidence of their membership of the Cocoa
Association of London and or the New York Cocoa Merchants
Association, even if they are members of other Cocoa
Associations.
Firms interested in Sheanuts and coffee are also required
to apply direct to the Managing Director of the Company
for registration and must furnish the Company with the
name(s) and address(es) of their Bankers.
Communication
Registered buyers can get in touch with the Cocoa Marketing
Company (Ghana) Limited direct by telephone, telex, cable
or fax. Apart from these, and to maintain effective contact
with buyers overseas, the Company has an established office
in London which is fully organised to receive bids from
buyers and transmit them by telex, fax or teleprinter
to Accra for decision. The Office, in effect serves essentially
as an additional trading channel and medium of market
information but has no authority to enter into binding
contracts.
The address of the London office
is as follows:
Ghana
Cocoa Marketing Company (UK) Limited
Unit 5 Granard Business Centre
Bunn's Lane, Mill Hill
London NW7 2DQ
Tel: 081-9064877
Fax: 081-906-4095
Telex: 264497/8
Website: www.cocobod.gh
Negotiation
Sales by the Cocoa Marketing Company (Ghana) Limited are
made by private treaty on the basis of World Market values
at the best prices obtainable, and negotiations are governed
by normal commercial considerations only, without any
kind of discrimination in favour of or against any individual
firm or particular company.
Payment
Sales by the Cocoa Marketing Company (Ghana) Limited,
except those made under Special Trade Payment Agreements,
are effected on the basis of Cash Against Documents on
first presentation in either New York or London. The Company,
however, reserves the right to insist on the establishment
of Letters of Credit whenever it deems it necessary to
do so. Sales under Trade And Payment Agreements are, however,
made against Letters of Credit. All sales by the Cocoa
Marketing Company (Ghana) Limited are negotiated on a
net basis and all local Bank charges are for the account
of the Country.
Contract
Quantity
The minimum quantity for a Contract for Cocoa Beans to
all the main ports of discharge is 50 metric tonnes while
that for the cocoa products is 10 metric tonnes. In certain
circumstances, however, the Company could insist on a
larger tonnage if that would serve as an inducement to
Carriers. The minimum shipment quantity for Sheanuts and
Coffee is also 50 metric tonnes.
Shipment
Sales are made for three monthly Shipment periods, e.g.
October/December, November/January, December/February,
etc. for cocoa beans and for two monthly shipment period,
e.g. February/March, March/April etc. for cocoa products;
sheanuts and coffee. In both cases, the sales are made
on the basis of Main UK ports. Differentials are chargeable
on all European and USA outports, and the Company reserves
the right to reject declared ports which are not easily
accessible.
Buyers are required to declare ports of destination at
the time of negotiation or, at the latest, two clear calendar
months prior to the commencement of the Contract shipment
period. Requests for change of destination are entertained;
but each request is dealt with, on its own merit.
For further details contact:
Cocoa
Marketing Company (Ghana) Limited
P.O. Box 1017
Accra, Ghana
Tel: 233-21-228866-5/668464
Fax: 233-21-665076
Telex: 2082/2546/2311 Accra
Cocoa Processing Company Limited
Private Post Bag
Tema, Ghana
Tel: 233-221-2926/2914/6375
Fax: 233-221-6657/233-21-665076
Telex: 2082 GH
THE STORY OF GHANA
COCOA IS AS FOLLOWS:
Ghana's cocoa industry has been the mainstay of the Ghanaian
economy for a long time and remains a considerable source
of foreign exchange. The world's leading producer until
1976, producing over 580,000 tonnes, Ghana production
fell to 159,000 tonnes at the beginning of the 1980s.
Ghana is presently the world second largest producer of
cocoa; producing over 500,000 tonnes.
In fiscal year 2000 Ghana cocoa industry produced over
400,000 tonnes of cocoa. It may interest you to know that
buyers of Ghanaian cocoa pay an additional US$50 more
because of the high quality of the beans.
From a small beginning in the late 19th century with the
first export of 80lbs, of dry cocoa beans from Ghana in
1891, the industry expanded steadily till it reached an
annual average of 254,000 tons between 1933 and 1937,
with a peak of 300,000 tons in 1936, then equivalent to
50% of the world's total production.
The quality of Ghana cocoa continue to be acceptable to
many consuming countries, but there is still room for
considerable improvement. Manufactures want beans which
are fully fermented, with a brown "break", not
slaty or purple. Good quality can be achieved only if
the fullest attention is given to harvesting and preparation.
Some History
Ghana cocoa is famous all over the world for its very
high quality.
In memory of the late Tetteh Quarshie, the man who introduced
cocoa into Ghana, a Hospital building was built in Mampong
in Akwapim and a round-about (circle) in Accra near Kotoka
International Airport has been named after him.
The cocoa industry is one of the live-were of Ghana's
economy.
The cultivation of cocoa in commercial quantities began
in about 1878 with cocoa pods brought from Fernando Po
by Tetteh Quarshie. Peasant farmers in the country accepted
the challenge, and with support of Government, established
Ghana as the world's leading cocoa producer from 1910
until about 1979 when Ghana was overtaken by other countries.
The causes of the decline are well known and the government
is doing everything possible to revive the waned farmer
interest. The old generation of cocoa farmers are gradually
being replaced by a new one who may be enthusiastic, but
ignorant of the techniques of cocoa farming.
Harvesting
There are 2 harvests in the year, the main crop and the
smaller or mid crop seasons. The main crop season begins
in October and ends in February, while the smaller or
mid crop season is between May and August.
Ghana's Cocoa Processing Factories
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has as one of its principal
subsidiaries the COCOA PROCESSING COMPANY LIMITED (CPC)
which was incorporated in 1981. This company was formed
to control and co-ordinate the operations of Ghana's three
cocoa processing factories and one confectionery factory.
The factories are identified by the brand names given
to their products. Two factories, TAKSI and WAM (West
Africa Mills) are located in the port city of Takoradi
and the other two, PORTEM (cocoa) and PORTEM (confectionery),
are in the same industrial compound in the township of
Tema.
The choice of Takoradi and Tema as sites for these factories
ensures an uninterrupted supply of raw cocoa beans by
road and rail from the hinterland and also facilitates
the storage and speedy export of the finished products.
The longest-established factory was WAM, which was founded
by the International Cocoa Merchants Gill & Duffus
in 1947, coming under the Cocoa Board in 1982. it is now
administered by joint ventureship between the Ghana Cocoa
Board and Schroeder of the Hosta Group of Companies of
Germany, and is called WAMCO I.
TAKSI was set up by the Government of Ghana in 1964 and
placed under the Cocoa Board in 1969. WAMCO I entered
into joint ventureship with COCOBOD in December, 1993,
and TAKSI is now called WAMCO II.
PORTEM comprises two factories - Cocoa and Confectionery.
The confectionery products bear the brand name GOLDEN
TREE and the semi-finished cocoa products bear the brand
name PORTEM. |
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