Tourists visit Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa farm

The Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the United Nations Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has embarked on a cocoa trail to the Eastern Region to climax the week-long World Tourism celebrations in Ghana.

The trip, which was supposed to be the culmination of the week-long celebrations took the team, including foreign dignitaries, ministers of tourism from sister African nations, tourism operators, the corporate world, international and local newsmen alike to the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa farm at Akuapim Mampong in the Akuapim North District.

The team also visited the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana and the Bunsu Arboretum both in the East Akim Municipality.

A tour Guide attached to the Tetteh Quarshie Farm, Mr. Ebenezer Martei Hammond who took the team through the history of cocoa in Ghana entreated tourist to make it a point to visit the farm regularly to get abreast of information about Tetteh Quarshie, the man who  is credited with the origin of cocoa in Ghana.

Mr. Hammond also led the team to have a feel of the museum of implements attached to the cocoa farm where, farm implements such as cutlass, hoes, pots and stools among others that were used by the late statesman have been kept for tourism purposes.

Cocoa is now considered the chief and foremost foreign exchange earner for Ghana.

Tetteh Quarshie, born in 1842 and of Ga Parentage is hailed as the pioneer of the Ghana Cocoa industry.

He was a Blacksmith by profession and visited Fernandopo, Cameroun, in 1876.

Subsequently, he raised the first cocoa farm in Ghana in the same year and passed on to eternity in 1879.