CAMEROON- La Chocolaterie owner Olivier Bourdais has launched the construction of a one billion FCFA (US$1.6 million) chocolate factory in Obala, a major cocoa-producing region set to increase high-quality chocolate production in Cameroon.
The factory will span 3,000 square meters and aims to produce high-quality ‘made in Cameroon’ chocolate for both the local and international markets.
The launch was attended by the Ministers of Agriculture and Commerce, who lauded the factory and its expected impact on job creation and the Cameroonian economy.
The move is part of Bordais’ effort to expand his company’s chocolate production capacity through consolidating the entire chocolate chain from production of cocoa beans to manufacturing chocolate products.
The new facility mirrors the 3,000 square meter factory opened in Saint-Thonan, France in March 2023. The Cameroon factory also boasts of an 800 square meter laboratory facility dedicated to producing chocolate treats and production of chocolate treats.
The factory hopes to leverage Obala’s cocoa production region. The factory’s proximity to cacao farms in the region is expected to provide a reliable supply of cocoa beans for the company, rivaling larger cocoa producers amid shortages.
The recent cocoa bean shortage has driven prices up and caused supply chain disruptions for many global chocolatiers. The shortage is attributed to extreme weather, disease, and climate change, which have also significantly reduced the quality of cocoa beans and chocolate produced.
La Chocolaterie’s new factory in Cameroon hopes to reduce inconsistencies in the cocoa bean supply chain experienced by its Saint-Thonan factory in France, which relies on brokers and contracted suppliers.
The new factory is expected to provide a direct market for cacao farmers, rivaling Nigerian and Cameroonian brokers who purchase cocoa beans from farmers at unfavorable prices.
Gabriel Mbaïrobe, Minister of Agriculture, said, “For a number of years, as the price of cocoa remained very low, many cocoa farmers abandoned their plantations or did not maintain them sufficiently, resulting in aging plantations and falling yields.”
“If we have our own local factories, like Nigeria, Ghana, and Ivory Coast, the prices of cocoa will increase further for farmers.”
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