Mampong-Akuapem (E/R), Feb 16, GNA - The Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) in collaboration with the Cocoa Processing Company and the Produce Buying Companies (PBC) had held a programme for some school children to mark Chocolate Day as part of the Cocoa Trail Project. Chocolate Day was instituted as an annual affair four years ago to be celebrated on February 14 as Ghana's response to the observation of Valentine's Day.

As part of the programme school children form the Amrahia Basic School in Accra were taken to the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa farm at Mampong-Akuapem, the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) at New Tafo and the Arboretum and the Bunso Cocoa station to have a physical feel of the first cocoa trees planted by Tetteh Quarshie 137 years ago.

Ms Felicia Aninakwa, the programmes officer of the GTB, said the Cocoa Trail was adopted as part of the Chocolate Day celebration dubbed "chocofest" to promote cocoa and its by-products. She said the day was fixed on Valentine's Day to help shift the attention of children from the seeming promiscuity associated with the occasion as well as to promote cocoa and its products to the Ghanaian public.

Dr Frank Manu-Amoah, the Director of CRIG, told the children that the duty of CRIG was to research into cocoa to ensure that more ways were found to maintain the plant which is Ghana's highest foreign earner. He said though Ghana is the second largest exporter of cocoa, it has the best quality due to research and innovative ways of maintaining the plant. Dr Manu-Amoah advised the children that for the health benefits of chocolate, they should buy cocoa products instead of candies.