Accra, Sep 27 (IANS): The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) Thursday said the country plans to double domestic consumption by the end of 2015.

Although Africa accounts for 70 percent of the world's total cocoa production, its cocoa consumption is as low as 3 percent of the total world consumption, reported Xinhua.

"We (COCOBOD) have therefore initiated the campaign to promote local cocoa consumption, using the health benefits of cocoa," COCOBOD public affairs manager Noah Amenya told Xinhua in an interview.

"Research has proven that cocoa contains flavanol which provides multi-benefits to the body, including the production of nitric oxide in the body and this reduces blood pressure and minimises the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases," according to the COCOBOD's official communication on the campaign.

"As we begin to consume more, the higher demand would elicit much more investment into production, and the higher supply would drive down prices," Amenya said.

Ghana, the world's No. 2 producer of cocoa after Cote d'Ivoire, had its highest production of 1 mn tonnes in 2011.