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Rethinking Ghanas Cocoa Quality: The Stake of License Buying Companies (LBCs) in Ghana

Ansah GO, Ofori F and Siaw LP

Grounded on the industry’s tripartite actors, coupled with the fundamental role LBCs play in the domestic supply chain of cocoa in Ghana, the study aimed at assessing major quality control practices instituted in ensuring quality cocoa in the domestic cocoa market. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to analyses responses obtained from a sample size of ninety-five (N=95) involving 10 District Managers (DM’s) and 85 Purchasing Clerks (PC’s) of Cocoa Merchant Ghana Limited (CML). The study espoused, notwithstanding the competitive nature of the industry, major quality control practices (QCP’s) such as constant education and training of farmers on proper fermentation and all along the supply chain, efficient packaging, storage and haulage of goods in transit, drying, picking of placenta and foreign matter were instituted. Also, CML ensures that DMs encourage PCs to present good quality cocoa beans for grading and sealing to the QCC as well as provision of good storage facilities; pallets, tarpaulins etc. to farmers. CML concentrates much effort to ensuring physical quality to the neglect of biochemical and process quality. It is therefore suggested that efforts be marshalled to encapsulate the other cocoa quality types.