By Emmanuel Tumanjong
Special to DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
YAOUNDE, Cameroon--The volume of cocoa beans bought by crushers
in Cameroon in the first six months of the current season rose
slightly from a year earlier, industry data published Wednesday
showed.
The National Cocoa and Coffee Board, in the port city of Douala,
said the volume of cocoa beans bought for crushing between August
and January rose 4.5% to 26,537 metric tons from 25,390 tons. The
Cameroon cocoa season officially runs from August to July.
The Cameroon unit of Barry Callebaut AG (BARN.EB), and Chococam,
which is majority owned by Tiger Brands Ltd (TBLMY, TBS.JO) of
South Africa, are the local processors. The former is represented
locally by Societe Industrielle Camerounaise, or Sic Cacao SA, in
which the Cameroon government owns a 30% stake.
In the 2011-2012 cocoa season, Sic Cacao and Chococam processed
29,924 tons of cocoa.
The two firms bought 28,413 tons of cocoa beans for processing
in the 2010-11 season, according to government data.
Chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa cake and liquor produced by Sic
Cacao is marketed mainly in Cameroon and its five neighboring
countries in the Economic Community of Central African States.
Cameroon's cocoa output in the last 2011-2012 season was 210,034
tons, falling from a record 240,000 tons in the 2010-11 season,
according to industry and government figures.
Write to Emmanuel Tumanjong at
realtimedesklondon@dowjones.com
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