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The high unemployment rate among Ghanaian youth could be drastically reduced if the younger generation are encouraged to take up the numerous job opportunities the cocoa industry offers, according to Fred Frimpong programme manager Solidaridad, an international civil society organization which facilitates the development of socially responsible, ecologically profitable supply chains.

``The cocoa crop has a myriad of opportunities for the youth to take up, so we believe that younger generation must be introduced to the crop at an early stage in their lives to help them develop that interest and possibly take up employment in the industry,'' Frimpong said in an interview after  solidaridad partnered a local travel and tour agency, TN Delfah to take about 100 children from selected basic schools to a learning tour to cocoa farms and the Ghana cocoa research institute to help the pupils develop the interest in the cocoa at an early stage in their lives.

The cocoa industry's value chain-from nursery through harvesting and the processing into chocolates, drinks and confectionaries provide massive employment avenues for the youth who are seeking non-existent white colour jobs, he said.   

The Pupils, from De Youngster's International and Jack and Jill basic schools, both in the capital, were taken on a sponsored tour dabbed ` Cocoa Learning Experience' to the famous Tetteh Quashie cocoa farm at Mampong and the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana(CRIG)at Tafo in the eastern region.  The pupils were taken through the different process and varieties of products made from cocoa.

On her part, Mrs. Tina Amenyah, the chief executive of TN Delfah Travel and Tour, was full of praise to Solidaridad for supporting the initiative, `` I realised that the youth of today have a limited  appreciation of the real value and opportunities that the cocoa crop offers to them and the Ghanaian economy. So we decided to start this as part of our local tourism drive and also create an avenue for the younger generation to develop interest in cocoa so some may become entrepreneurs in the cocoa value chain. Cocoa can offer them secure jobs,'' She said.

``Studies show that the average age for cocoa farmers is between 55 and 65 years so we are happy that this initiative is introducing the children to the crop, some can grow to become researchers, cocoa scientist besides as well as main stream cocoa farmers.'' said Dr Mrs. Mercy Asamoah, principal research scientist at CRIG said

 Two other schools in The Ashanti region will also benefit from the same sponsored tour, `` All this is in the spirit of helping the youth to tap into the numerous job opportunities Ghana's cocoa industry, '' Frimpong said.

Ghana produced over one million metric tons of the beans in 2011 but output fell to an averaged 850,000 tons annually since then, due to factors Including pest invasion and unfavourable weather. As a result the government and the Ghana cocoa board have put in place strategies to boost annual production and sustain it beyond the one million tons per year.
 
TN Delfah and Solidaridad's collaboration will help the younger generation to learn about cocoa and develop the interest in becoming agriculture entrepreneurs, besides whatever profession they may choose in life.

This initiative starts at a time when the Ghanaian government and the Ghana cocoa board are also championing the course of boosting cocoa production beyond the 1 million tons per year.

Cocoa is considered as the back bone of Ghana's economy as the commodity remains as the country's main agricultural export. The chocolate making ingredient fetches the state billions of dollars in annual revenue and creates hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs in Ghana.
Ghana is the second largest cocoa exporter in the world behind Ivory Coast and produces premium cocoa for the world's chocolate industry.