Kuapa Kokoo farmers receive dividend from UK-based Divine Chocolate

Divine Chocolate Limited, a UK-based company partly owned by Ghana's Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union (KKFU), turned over £5.6million for the 2012/2013 financial year.

The company has for the third year recorded a decline in turnover – the figures have dropped from £10.4m in 2010 to £8.2m in 2011 and £7.53m in 2012.

Managing Director of Divine, Sophi Tranchell, however says the 2013 performance “is a growth on the year before”.

The company made a profit of £44,000 and distributing a dividend of £57,000 to shareholders – Kuapa Kokoo farmers are receiving £24,000 of the amount.

“In the next year, I am glad to say we are seeing an increase in turnover and a much better margin,” said Ms Tranchell at the 20th Annual Delegates Conference of Kuapa Kokoo in Kumasi.

She also stated that Divine Chocolate's operations in the USA continued to grow but failed to break even.

“The team in the USA are working really well together and delivering significant growth, you can now see Divine Chocolate in thousands of outlets across America and we are getting very close to break even,” Ms. Tranchell stated.

The Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union owns 45 percent shares of Divine Chocolate, which sells in 12 countries around the world. All chocolate products are made from cocoa from Kuapa, the biggest cocoa farmers' organization in the Fairtrade system.

The farmers' co-operative delivers more than five percent of Ghana's cocoa and approximately one percent of the world's cocoa.

story by Kofi Adu Domfeh