Entry: Bill Guyton, World Cocoa Foundation
Below is an article published today in the Ghana News Agency, highlighting the important work of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG). As many of you know, CRIG is the main applied research arm of the Cocoa Board of Ghana (COCOBOD), The Institute is involved in many activities to help cocoa farmers in the rural areas. Over the years, World Cocoa Foundation has supported CRIG in disease and pest management research, as well as farmer outreach programs. The reference below is to a WCF Challenge Grant given to CRIG to help improve the quality of soap made from cocao husks. This activity, as described below, is primarily being carried out by women's groups in rural Ghana and is a good income source for rural households.
Kadjebi, Aug. 29, GNA - The Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG)on Saturday said it would facilitate poverty reduction programmes among populations in cocoa growing areas.
It is therefore facilitating the promotion of more profitable ways of preparing “alata samina” also called “alata soap, throughout the cocoa growing areas.
Dr Jemmy Takrama, Senior Research Officer of CRIG, said this at a workshop for women groups in the Kadjebi, Jasikan and Akpafu areas of the Volta Region, on new ways of making “alata samina.”
He said the new ways which was an improved version of the traditional method would help the women make more profits.
The Rural Enterprises Project of the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) collaborated in the programme, which is funded by the World Cocoa Foundation.
Dr Takrama said similar workshops had been organized for women in the Western, Brong-Ahafo and Central Regions and that the aim of CRIG was for people in the cocoa production areas to put cocoa by-products to good use.
Dr Takrama, who is also the Project Coordinator, said the women were being trained in packaging and costing too.
GNA
Source: GNA - Ghana News Agency