Bunso Cocoa College is set to be upgraded into a fully fledged university to be known as the Ghana Cocoa University, as part of efforts to strengthen technical and human capacity development in Ghana’s cocoa sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Randy Abbey, announced the plan, stressing that the proposed university will focus on training the critical technical expertise required to sustain and modernise the country’s cocoa industry.
He underscored the importance of the institution in delivering applied knowledge to address sustainability challenges within the cocoa value chain, adding that the upgrade will position the college as a centre of excellence for cocoa-related research, training and innovation.
The CEO of Cocobod said this during 75th Anniversary and 3rd Graduation Ceremony of Bunso Cocoa College on Thursday.
The Board Chairman of COCOBOD, Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said the planned upgrade aligns with the reset agenda of President John Dramani Mahama, aimed at securing the competitiveness and sustainability of Ghana’s cocoa industry for decades to come.
Dr. Ofosu Ampofo noted that the cocoa scholarship scheme for children of cocoa farmers at the secondary school level has become redundant due to the Free Senior High School policy. As a result, COCOBOD has been directed to develop a new targeted scholarship scheme to support children of cocoa farmers pursuing tertiary education.
He stated that Bunso Cocoa College, will be the first port of call for children of cocoa farmers to enrol at the institution under the scharlaship to acquire modern knowledge, technologies and skills to expand and sustainably manage family cocoa farms
According to Dr. Ofosu Ampofo, the reset agenda prioritises the modernisation of cocoa extension service delivery, improvement of soil fertility and productivity, scaling up the rehabilitation of disease-infested and aged farms, deepening farmer welfare interventions including the producer price regime, cocoa farmer pension schemes, and rural development support.
He also highlighted the promotion of climate-resilient and environmentally responsible cocoa production.
He further disclosed that the Board has been tasked to champion the commercial plantation model of cocoa production to safeguard the long-term future of the industry.
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The Rector of Bunso Cocoa College, Mrs. Mercy Asamoah, confirmed that the institution is in the process of transitioning into a specialised university dedicated to cocoa, coffee, cashew and other tree crops in Ghana. She said the transformation will enhance the college’s capacity to respond to emerging industry needs across the agricultural value chain.
Brief History of Bunso Cocoa College
Bunso Cocoa College is the premier training institution of COCOBOD, with roots dating back to 1950, when it was established as the Bunso Agricultural Training School under the Cocoa Division of the Department of Agriculture. Its initial mandate was to train Field Assistants for the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease Control Programme.
In 1977, the institution was elevated to college status and introduced a three-year Certificate Programme in General Agriculture, specialising in cocoa and coffee, to train Senior Technical Assistants. This programme was later phased out in 1984 under the National Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme.
Over the years, the College has focused on specialised training for the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED), Seed Production Division (SPD), cocoa farmers, and other industry players. It has also provided training facilities for Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) and practical field training opportunities for students from agricultural institutions nationwide.
In 2019, the College gained accreditation to run a two-year Diploma in Agronomy and Extension (Cocoa, Coffee), admitting its first cohort of 69 students.
Student enrolment has since grown to 198 students across Levels 100 and 200.
More recently, the College secured re-accreditation for five years, from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2030, and is preparing to introduce two degree programmes:BSc Agronomy and Extension BSc Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship
The College also plans to roll out short courses across the cocoa value chain to build relevant industry skills.
At the graduation ceremony, graduands were challenged to apply their training to support Ghana’s agricultural sector, particularly in promoting sustainable cocoa production and national development.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
