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Ghana signs 2007 International
Coffee Agreement
Accra, July 14, Ghanadot/GNA - Ghana’s High Commissioner to
the UK and Ireland, Mr. Annan Cato last Friday signed the
2007 International Coffee Agreement on behalf of the
Government of Ghana at the London headquarters of the
International Coffee Organisation.
The new International Coffee Agreement which was adopted by
a resolution of the International Coffee Council on
September 28, 2007 at its 98th Session in London was
submitted to the Ghana Cocoa Board as a designated contact
for Government for submission to Cabinet and Parliament for
study and ratification, a statement from the Ghana High
Commission in London said.
The International Coffee Organisation (ICO) was set up in
London in 1963 under the auspices of the United Nations
because of the economic importance of coffee.
It has a membership of 77 countries including Ghana and
consists of 45 exporting and 32 importing countries and
functions through the International Coffee Council, the
Executive Board, Private Sector Consultative Board, the
Executive Director and a Secretariat.
It is one of the world’s largest traded commodities produced
in more than 60 countries providing a livelihood for some 25
million people.
ICO is the main intergovernmental organisation for coffee,
bringing together producing and consuming countries to
tackle the challenges facing the world coffee sector through
international cooperation.
Ghana first acceded to the International Coffee Agreement on
9th September 1964 and has been a signatory to all the
Agreements with Ghana Cocoa Board as the implementing agency
for the Government of Ghana.
Even though Ghana produces only a fraction of the world’s
coffee output, the Ghana Cocoa Board is responsible for
Ghana’s coffee industry and is represented at International
Coffee Meetings by the Ghana Cocoa Marketing Company (UK).
The statement said coffee exports in Ghana reached their
highest level in 1997/1998 with an export of 10,000 metric
tonnes.
Since then, there has been a gradual decline in exports due
to the slump in world market prices, poor pricing policy and
lack of Government support.
The decline is also due to poor yields being encountered by
farmers and unsatisfactory farm management, with the major
factor being poor planting materials.
The Cocoa Research Institute at Tafo has said breeding
attempts being made to help rectify the situation include
the development of high yielding robusta and arabusta
coffee.
The arabusta programme is mainly to improve the quality of
our coffee. So far some robusta selections have been made
which give about three tons per hectare, which is a
significant improvement over the local robusta, which gives
0.8 tons per hectare under similar conditions.
The statement said to revamp the industry, Government,
through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, had
directed the Ghana Cocoa Board to draw up effective
strategies, including the provision of incentives to farmers
to rehabilitate old farms and establish new ones.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Mr Jose Dauster Sette,
Head of Operations of the ICO and Edem Amegashie-Duvon,
London Manager of Cocoa Marketing Company.
GNA
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