(Business in Cameroon) - Sic Cacaos, Cameroonian arm of food group Barry Callebaut, ground 53,000 tons of cocoa beans during the 2017-18 campaign, up 60% from the previous season. Data is available in a report issued March 18 by Fitch Solutions, a subsidiary of Fitch Group, which also owns the financial rating agency Fitch Ratings.

This strong performance by Cameroon’s biggest cocoa processor was motivated by the launch, on May 28, 2015 in Douala, of new beans grinding equipment, which cost nearly XAF5 billion, official sources had reported.

Sic Cacaos’ boosted capacity, coupled with the announced arrival of new operators (Neo Industry and Atlantic Cocoa), is expected to gradually increase Cameroon’s grinding capacity until 2023, Fitch Solutions said.

BRM