Internal Marketing Structures

At the village level, the farmer registers with a primary society. The primary society responds to a district office which in turn reports to the regional office. The licensing Buying Companies appoints purchasing clerks to each of the primary societies who manages the society. The district office audits the primary societies and provides funds for purchasing clerks to pursue their duties. The regional office controls the flow of cocoa needed to fulfil export contracts while the Cocobod sets policies and the price to be paid to the farmers.

Quality inspection is thorough. Quality Control Division enforces high quality standards. Farmers bring their cocoa to the primary society where it is weighed, graded and bagged. The purchasing clerks paid farmers by cash previously, but were later mandated by law to pay by cheque, called the "Akuafo Cheque", redeemable at a district bank. The amount paid depends not only on the quantity, but also on the quality. The farmer therefore learns very quickly of any shortcomings and has an interest in providing good quality beans. The bagged cocoa is sealed with a metal foil that bears the Quality Inspector's code before the cocoa is transported to regional warehouses, then to the designated ports. At these warehouses and ports, the quality inspectors recheck the quality and reweigh the cocoa before they are admitted into the warehouse. This action is also repeated before cocoa is loaded onto vessels for export. The system has two strengths; the immediate feedback to the farmer to ensure the supply of standard good quality cocoa. Secondly, the three checks system substantially reduces the chance of delivery of poor quality cocoa to the buyer.