By Tata Mbunwe
A new cocoa processing facility has been inaugurated in Kumba, marking the first such plant in Cameroon’s largest cocoa-producing region, the South West.
Cameroon is the world’s fourth-largest cocoa producer, and the South West region alone contributes 43 percent of the country’s cocoa bean output, according to the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCCB). This is followed by the Centre region, with 36 percent of national output.
But most of the revenue generated by the cocoa sector hardly benefits farmers, many of whom have remained small-scaled and poor.
Experts blame this partly on the absence of cocoa processing, value addition and strong bargaining power.
Partly funded by the government under the Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (AIVDP), the new plant is envisaged to enhance the cocoa value chain by processing beans into cocoa powder and other derivative products.
The facility was inaugurated on Thursday, December 11, by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbarobe, accompanied by regional authorities including the President of the South West Regional Assembly, Zacheus Bakoma Elango, and the General Manager of the Southwest Development Authority, Ogork Ntui Oben.
Officials described the project as a major stride toward value addition in Cameroon’s cocoa sector.
