Cameroon Cocoa Transformation: Kekem Shows the Way

Kekem Council to host 9 Billion CFA cocoa processing plant

Following the laying of the foundation stone, by the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Louis Paul Motaze, of a cocoa transformation plant in Kekem Council, it can be argued that this council has turned on a new leaf in its drive towards industrialisation, diversity and development.

The factory, which will be the first of its kind in the country, is located precisely in Fondjomoko neighbourhood near the town of Kekem in the Upper Nkam Division, West Region and is being sponsored by Emmanuel Neossi, through his company, Neo Industry S.A.
The 9 billion CFA worth plant will be constructed by a Swiss company, Bühler, which specialises plant and food processing technologies and advanced materials. According to the technical specifications of the processing plant, it will have a capacity of 4 tonnes of cocoa seeds processed per hour, employing 825 staff in permanent positions, in addition to thousands of temporal jobs created. Inhabitants of Kekem are likely to start harvesting the fruits of this project within 18 months, a time scheduled for the first barrels of cocoa butter, and chocolate to leave the factory.

Minister Motaze, in his speech at the foundation stone laying ceremony, revealed that within the framework of the public-private partnership principle, government will co-sponsor the project which also falls within the State’s Agropoles Programme. This programme aims to create income generating activities in the rural areas of the country and examples include an upcoming project to process avocado oil in Mbouda, a cassava transformation plant in Sangmelima. So far, close to 20 Agropoles are now operational nationwide.  

Government’s participation in the project is up to the tune of 1.2 billion CFA francs and the minister justified the government’s determination to support such projects by the fact that they were in line with its plans to improve the quantity and quality of Cameroon cocoa by 2020 as defined in the growth and employment strategy paper, GESP.

To the minister, the importance of the cocoa transformation industry project cannot be overemphasized given that agriculture is top amongst six sectors President Paul Biya has prioritised as the country hits the road to emergence in 2035. In addition to this amount, government will also grant the start-up tax incentives for a ten-year period.

In fact, the Cameroon Government aims to make sure that “at least 50% of our primary products such as cocoa, banana, rubber, oil palm, coffee, etc, are transformed...” by 2035.Cameron currently transforms just about 10% of its annual cocoa production, a very low figure, if we compare to the rate in Ghana where it is 30% now and is planned to rise to 50% by 2017.

Needless to say, the benefits of such a project reach far beyond the borders of Kekem Council, as, in the words of the project initiator, Emmanuel Neossi “the cocoa factory transformation project will bring an added value to locally-produced cocoa which until now, is largely only being exported in its raw state”. He said the initiative will also fight poverty as the project is sure to create hundreds of jobs for young Cameroonian.

Minister Motaze was at the head of an inter-ministerial delegation that also included the minister delegate at the ministry of agriculture and rural development, Clementine Ananga Messina. The event also brought together top administrative and security officials of the West.

MINEPAT Boss, Motaze laying the foundation stone of the first Cameroon owned Cocoa transformation plant

For the record, Kekem Council is a 400km² area with a population of 43,000 inhabitants.  It is bound in the north by Bafang, in the south by Melong in the Mungo Division, in the East by Banwa and in the west by Santchou, Fokoue and Bandja. The town of Kekem is situated some 25 Kilometres from Bafang, along the road to Douala. It is situated in the heart of an intense coffee and cocoa production zone and its proximity to the Mungo Division and the South West Region means an abundant supply of cocoa from peasant plantations which abound in these areas.  The Council is led by Mayor Leumassi Bonaventure.

Tengwan Ambe Frederick