Tetteh Quarshie

Tetteh Quarshie (1842 - 25 December 1892) was a pre-independence Ghanaian agriculturalist who was directly responsible for the introduction of cocoa crops to Ghana, which are now one of the country's major export crops. In order to introduce the crop, Quarshie traveled to the island of Fernando Po in 1870 and returned to Ghana in 1876.

Tetteh Quarshie set sail for the Spanish colony of Fernando Po (now Bioko in Equatorial Guinea). He returned to Ghana with several cocoa beans about six years later.

Tetteh Quarshie successfully planted the seeds in Mampong in 1879. When cocoa pods were distributed to them, friends and relatives also planted cocoa. Other farmers quickly followed suit. Only at this point did the Basel Missionaries enter the picture, bringing large quantities of the crop into the country. Cocoa beans or cuttings were shipped from Ghana's Gold Coast to countries such as Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Ghana began exporting cocoa in 1891, and the official export began in 1893. (two bags exported). Ghana once supplied nearly half of global output. Ghana was the world's largest exporter between 1910 and 1980. Because of the bushfires, this position was relinquished. Ghana's cocoa, on the other hand, is still of the highest quality, and the country earns hundreds of millions of dollars each year from the export of the beans and processed materials.

Tetteh Quarshie died on December 25, 1892. On February 25, 1925, the Gold Coast government was petitioned for a grant to help Tetteh Quarshie's relatives. Dr. J. E. K. Aggrey, the then-Ghanaian Vice-Principal of Achimota College, vigorously pursued the appeal. Sir Gordon Guggisberg, a friend of his, established the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Scholarship at Achimota College. Following another petition in 1927, the government gave a sum of 250 pounds, despite Nana Sir Ofori Atta's request in the Legislative Council for 2,500 pounds, which was supported by Kojo Thompson.