Quality Control Division

Inspection, Grading and Sealing Activities

The Division has the responsibility for inspecting storage shed and issuing Certificates of Registration for premises used as scheduled grading centres or depots. No grading and sealing or storage of produce is allowed in any shed which has not been duly approved.

Staff of the Division stationed in the eighty-four Operational Districts within the six cocoa-growing regions, carry out functions of inspection and sampling, grading and sealing of cocoa before evacuation to the take-over points for subsequent shipment or delivery to the local processing factories.

A certificate is issued for any parcel of produce graded and sealed.

At the take-over points cocoa arrivals are check-sampled by QCD port staff to enable the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) Ltd, either to take over a particular consignment or reject it if the quality falls below standard.

A Purity Certificate is issued for every parcel of cocoa taken over. Another check-sampling is conducted for all consignments prior to shipment to ensure that only good quality cocoa is exported. A Purity Certificate is again issued for every consignment passed for shipment.

Despite the complete privatization of coffee and sheanut marketing in the country, the QCD is still responsible for the inspection and grading of these commodities. As in the case of cocoa, the original grading and sealing of coffee takes place at up-country buying centres of all Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs), but check-sampling is conducted only once at the port prior to shipment of any consignment.

With sheanuts however, the function of inspection, grading and certification of quality by the Division is currently performed at the ports only. The Division is also responsible for inspection, sampling, grading and certification of cocoa wastes.