The Ghana Tourist Board, in collaboration with Cocoa Processing Company Limited, has launched this year’s celebration of the National Chocolate Day dubbed 'Chocofest 2010’ at a ceremony at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra.
Speaking at the launch, the Executive Director of Ghana Tourist Board, Mr Julius Debrah, explained that the idea behind the celebration was not only to make consumption of chocolate popular during a particular period of time, but to also promote the consumption of made-in-Ghana products, including cocoa products.
The name will soon be changed to ‘Ghana Chocolate Day’ to distinguish the celebration of the day from the idea of it being a day for the celebration of other foreign chocolates, he noted.
He stated further that steps were being put in place to run programmes that will encourage people to eat chocolate at all times.
In his address, the Deputy Minister for Tourism, Mr Kobby Acheampong, observed that cocoa, first brought as a seed, had now developed to become a product that tells the Ghanaian success story, adding that cocoa should be patronised by all as it has a lot of health benefits.
The Manager of Special Events, Mr Alex Boakye, added that the day was celebrated to promote made-in-Ghana chocolate, which was acclaimed to be one of the best in the world, especially for health reasons, among others.
He stated further that activities for the celebration of the event would span a period of three days.
Outlining the programme of activities for the celebration, he said proceedings would begin with a tour by children from deprived schools to cocoa processing companies, followed by exhibitions to be held in selected hotels, drinking spots and restaurants.
The celebration will be climaxed with a beach party at Kokrobite Beach to entertain guest at a special chocolate party, which will lead up to a dinner for selected ‘Valentine couples’ and their wards who will be served with a chocolate meal.
He said a deliberate effort was being made at inculcating in children the habit of consuming chocolate as they are formidable agents who could influence their guardians in their purchases.
The Managing Director of Cocoa Processing Company Limited, however, expressed disappointment that even though cocoa farmers were the producers of the cocoa product, there were some who had never tasted a bar of chocolate in their life.
He consequently promised that the next consignment of packages to be presented by the company as awards on Farmers Day would include chocolate.
He also called for the inclusion of chocolate in the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
No comments:
Post a Comment