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Two cocoa farmers win excellence awards in Paris

They were among 17 other award winners who beat off competition from 146 samples of cocoa beans taken from 35 participating cocoa-producing countries for the purposes of the awards.

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Two cocoa farmers, Nana Osabarima Adusei Peasah IV, the Chief of Akyem Tafo, in the Eastern Region, and Mr Abubakari Alidu, from the Ahafo Ano South District in the Ashanti Region, have emerged winners of this year’s internationally acclaimed Cocoa of Excellence (CoEx) awards.

Nana Peasah received their awards at the Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre in the French capital, Paris, where the event was held. His counterpart, Mr Alidu could, however, not attend the event.

The awards event coincided with the five-day Salon Du Chocolate exhibition, which offers cocoa farmers entry point to participate in the International Cocoa Awards (ICA).

The ICA is the only competition of its kind that recognises the work of cocoa farmers and celebrates the diversity of cocoa flavours globally.

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Nana Peasah and Mr Alidu were in Paris to receive their awards as well as participate in the fair.

Also present at the function were the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni, and Ghana’s Ambassador to France, Madam Johanna Odonkor Svanikier.

Nana Peasah has been in the cocoa farming business for 30 years. He currently cultivates over 30 hectares of the crop.

The chair of the jury, Mr Ed Seguine, congratulated the two farmers on producing high quality cocoa beans whose unique flavour got them to be shortlisted for the award.

He added that Ghana was known around the world for its quality and premium beans.

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Motivation to exceed

Nana Peasah told the Daily Graphic upon his return that the recognition was a testament that hard work paid.

He said he had, over the years, followed cocoa farming and quality control instructions given to him by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), which he said resulted in him winning the award.

“When they asked me to bring 60 kilos of my cocoa for sampling, I thought it was just for testing. I didn’t know it was to be entered into a competition but at the end of the day, I was chosen and awarded,” he said.

He thus encouraged his colleague farmers to abide by the instructions of the officials of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), the body which helps farmers with modern farming techniques.

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After touring France, where some of the renowned chocolate producers are located, Nana Peasah said he had realised that the country’s cocoa beans were the best globally, hence the need for every farmer to apply best farming techniques on their farms.

“What I realised was that anything they produce, they ensure that there is a bit of Ghana cocoa added and that tells you the trust they have in it,” he said. He advised cocoa farmers to continually invest in quality procedures that will maintain the standard and increase their yields.

He thanked the COCOBOD for its continuous support for farmers and the industry but said more interventions were needed to help increase yields and growth in the sector.

Award criteria

This year’s Cocoa of Excellence award competition received 146 samples of cocoa beans from 35 participating cocoa-producing countries.

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Out of the 146 samples, the best 50 samples were selected and carefully processed into liquor and untampered chocolate and then sent for blind sensory evaluation by a panel of 26 international sensory evaluation experts.

The panel of judges then selected the best 17 of the final samples, which included Nana Peasah and Mr Alidu’s, to receive the international cocoa award.

Source: Daily Graphic

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