Cameroon/Cocoa production: 55 Modern Drying Machines For The South West

Some 55 modern cocoa drying machines will soon be installed in the South West Region.

This has been revealed by the Coordinator of the Agricultural Infrastructure and Value Chain Development Project, BesongNtuiOgork. Mr Ntui says the installations are expected to immediately begin when the contracting procedure, which has already been launched, ends.

A call has been issued and entrepreneurs interested in delivering the project have until March 17, 2022 to express their interest.

The project seeks to take advantage of the natural endowments of the area. Recall, the South West, before the onset of the socio-political crisis, was the highest cocoa producing Region in the country. That’s why the project to install these 55 dryers in Fako, Meme, KupeManengouba, Manyu, and Ndian hope to bring the Region back to glory days.

The overall objective is to improve upon the quality of cocoa coming from that part of the country. Dryers can play a crucial role because a majority of cocoa in this Region is harvested in the rainy season and farmers often struggle to get their produce dry. Some depend on the sun, while others resort to other rudimentary options and the result is often the loss of cocoa beans or the eventual supply of substandard produce, with the aroma of smoke or other bad humid properties.

Through this, producers hope to avert the 2017 incident where international purchasers dropped FCFA 200 from the stipulated price, on the pretext that the quality was below expectation.

The Cocoa and Coffee Board had earlier reported cases where Cameroonian cocoa was not allowed into certain international markets. They said this costs the sector over FCFA three billion in 2013 as some 2,000 tons were classed as having low quality.

In 2020, the General Manager of the Cameroon Cocoa Development Corporation, SODECAO, Jean Claude Eko’o Akouafane said there was great hope for the Region. He said discussions had been opened with cocoa producers in the South West, Cameroon’s top cocoa producer, on how things can fall back in place.