The Switzerland-based leading cocoa processing group in the world, Barry Callebaut has announced the intention to help agricultural entrepreneurs in Cameroon in the cocoa sector, attract youths to the sector so as to improve on the quality, yields and the diversity.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Barry Callebaut Group, Antoine de Saint-Afrique made the declaration in Yaounde on May 22, 2019 after discussions with Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Joseph Dion Ngute.

The Cameroonian-based Sic Cacaos cocoa processing company is the subsidiary of Barry Callebaut. Sic Cacaos has been in Cameroon for over 70 years and indeed the first company to embark on the local processing of cocoa. Talking to the press after the audience with the Prime Minister, the Chief Executive Officer of Barry Callebaut said,

“We are here to discuss the increase of the industry in Cameroon. We are here to discuss what we can do to help transformation, what we can do with the farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs to help them to further develop brand new generations, educate them so that we get better quality, quantity in production and transformation.”

Mr Antoine de Saint-Afrique disclosed that he was in Cameroon 10 months ago to open the new factory of Sic Cacaos in Douala and the results being that the company has increased considerably in terms of production. “Less than a year ago, we increased our capacity from 40,000 tons to 55,000 tons. We are extremely committed to Africa and to Cameroon,” he said. The company plans to continue working to make the cocoa sector the future in Cameroon, attractive to youths.