Cocoa Marketing Company rolls out 24-hour cocoa operations to speed up exports and cut delays

The Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) has introduced 24-hour operations at its cocoa processing and export facilities in Ghana, aiming to reduce export delays and enhance efficiency. This new model, Offload 24, Load 24, and Export 24, focuses on continuous processing and shipment of cocoa beans. Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Randy Abbey, explained that the initiative would reduce vessel waiting times, congestion, and improve handling capacity by operating across three shifts.

The expansion would create jobs in cocoa-producing and port communities, with stakeholders from various sectors, including customs, shipping lines, and hauliers, required to maintain similar operating hours to ensure smooth operations. Dr Ofosu-Ampofo, COCOBOD Board Chairman, highlighted the delays caused by the traditional 5 pm closure, urging COCOBOD to operate on the same schedule.

Presidential Advisor Augustus Tanoh affirmed the feasibility of the operating model, linking it to broader sector reforms and the new COCOBOD law that guarantees farmers a minimum 70% payout from cocoa exports. Tema East MP Isaac Ashai Odamtten emphasized the importance of discipline to maintain the initiative's benefits, stressing that the expansion would boost productivity and employment without compromising safety or quality.