ITOCHU DELEGATION VISITS CRIG TO STRENGTHEN COCOA COLLABORATION

Date: 06th November 2025

By Geoffrey Opoku-Dark

A Japanese delegation from ITOCHU Corporation, led by the Business Liaison Associate, Yuki Owusu-Ansah Yasumoto, has met with the Management of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) on Thursday, 30th October 2025.

The visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration between Ghana and Japan in the areas of cocoa bean and flavour qualities for chocolate production.

Opening the meeting, the Acting Executive Director of CRIG, Dr Kofi Owusu Domfeh, welcomed the delegation and provided an overview of the activities of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana and the Ghana Cocoa Board.

He emphasised that CRIG has developed numerous varieties of desirable flavours through research, particularly in the areas of cocoa and coffee aroma, primary processing quality and development of by-products from cashew and shea. Dr Domfeh expressed optimism that the continued collaboration between the two institutions would be mutually beneficial in ensuring high-quality cocoa beans and desirable flavours for the chocolate industry.

The delegation was taken on a tour of CRIG's facilities, which included the ongoing construction of the ultra-modern Fine Flavour Chocolate Laboratory, the fermentary, the CSSVD museum, an exhibition of the by-products, and some experimental farms.

Present at the meeting were Dr Daniel Nyadanu, Ag. Deputy Executive Director of CRIG (Cocoa & Kola); Dr Esther Gyedu Akoto, Deputy Executive Director of CRIG (Coffee, Cashew & Shea); Yuga Takashi, Assistant General Manager of ITOCHU, and Nunana Kusakutsex, Business Liaison for ITOCHU.