Otumfuor Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene has declared his willingness to serve as a Royal Ambassador to promote local consumption of cocoa products.
The Ashanti King made the declaration when the Chief Executive of COCOBOD paid courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace as part of his working visit to the region.
Mr. Boahen enumerated the new policies being rolled out by his new administration in an audacious attempt to play a major role in determining the price of cocoa on the international market.
The COCOBOD said one of the surest ways of influencing global prices of cocoa was a leap in the local consumption of cocoa products.
The Asantehene who was full of praise for the initiatives, and the level of in depth knowledge of Hon. Joseph Boahen in the cocoa sector, wondered why staff of COCOBOD had failed to make progress from the 1 million tonnes it recorded a few years ago but rather superintended over a decline in cocoa production.
He therefore admonished the Staff to put in extra effort in their discharge if their duties.
Touching on the campaign drive to improve cocoa consumption in Ghana, the Asantehene recalled with nostalgia how he has used cocoa products for more than half a century. He attested to the health benefits of consuming cocoa products and therefore promised the support of his Kingdom to COCOBOD.
The Asantehene also talked about the economic importance of cocoa to Ashanti and Ghana in general adding that almost all the big edifices in Kumasi were largely built out of proceeds from Cocoa businesses.
Hon. Boahen Aidoo talked about the daunting challenges he inherited in terms of sharp fall in cocoa price coupled with the worrying drop in quantity of cocoa produced.
In order to turn things around, he said one of the major policies to be implemented is hand-based pollination aimed at improving production per hectare across the country.