By Emmanuel Tumanjong
YAOUNDE, Cameroon--Switzerland-based chocolate maker Barry
Callebaut AG (BARN.EB) is investing XAF4.8 billion to increase the
cocoa beans intake it processes at its Cameroon unit, Sic Cacao,
Cameroon's Minister of Mines, Industries and Technological
Development Emmanuel Bonde said Tuesday.
The company launched processing of cocoa beans over the weekend
at its base in Cameroon's port city--Douala.
The crusher will increase its cocoa beans ingestion from over
32,000 tons yearly to 50,000 tons on year, Mr. Bonde said.
Barry Callebaut and South Africa's Tiger Brands (TBS.JO) are the
two main cocoa beans grinders in Cameroon, accounting for slightly
over 32,000 tons of the commodity processed yearly into cocoa
powder and butter, liquor, according to government and industrial
figures.
"We're delighted to enter the beginning phase of this ambitious
project to enable us consolidate what we've been doing to increase
our volumes of cocoa intake," said Valentin Foketchiang,
secretary-general of Sic-Cacao.
Cameroon is in a campaign to woo factory owners to increase
locally-processed cocoa beans--a government scheme to see
home-crushed cocoa beans cap at least 70,000 tons by 2016.
"The move by Sic-Cacao falls in line with the government's
strategy to enter into second-generation agriculture," Bonde said,
adding that it add value to our cocoa, "rather than selling
unrefined cocoa that offers very little benefit".
Cameroon's cocoa output slipped to 209,905 tons in the 2013-14
season from 228,911 tons in the previous season. The country
exported 158,311 tons of cocoa beans in 2013-14, down from 201,563
tons, according to official data.
The West African nation's cocoa season officially runs from
August until the following July.
Write to Emmanuel Tumanjong at
realtimedesklondon@dowjones.com
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