(Business in Cameroon) – The Belgian chocolate group Puratos has announced an investment exceeding FCFA 500 million in the construction of a post-harvest cocoa fermentation centre in Ndzana, Mefou and Afamba Division, Centre Region of Cameroon. The initiative, launched on 6 October 2025 under the supervision of the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, is part of the company’s Cacao-Trace sustainability programme aimed at improving bean quality and farmer incomes. The project also includes the rehabilitation and expansion of Ndzana Secondary School.
According to information made public by Cameroon’s Ministry of Trade, Puratos has earmarked FCFA 400 million for the construction of the Ndzana fermentation centre and FCFA 100 million for the school’s refurbishment. In 2024, the company is said to have disbursed FCFA 91.48 million in quality premiums to farmers, alongside FCFA 90 million in cooperative bonuses and FCFA 120 million in chocolate bonuses.
“We will continue building fermentation centres in response to the Government’s call for short value chains, allowing farmers to earn better from their harvests,” said Sylvestre Awono, Managing Director of Puratos Cacao Cameroun. He added that the company intends to expand Cacao-Trace to strengthen producer capacities and living standards. The Minister of Trade noted that the initiative aligns with national efforts to restore the reputation of Cameroonian cocoa, which once faced price penalties due to poor fermentation quality.
The Cacao-Trace programme, operational in Cameroon since 2020, provides direct monetary rewards to farmers for producing well-fermented cocoa, while ensuring traceability from plantation to chocolate production. Cameroon’s cocoa exports reached 290,000 tonnes in 2024, valued at over CFA 600 billion, according to the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC), with premium-grade beans accounting for an increasing share of total sales.
According to cameroon’s Ministry of Trade, the Ndzana project marks a shift in Cameroon’s cocoa sector towards quality-centred production and localised post-harvest processing. Following government reforms initiated after the 2016–2017 price slump, when beans sold for as low as FCFA 500 per kilogram, the introduction of quality premiums and fermentation centres has improved competitiveness. In the 2024/2025 season, farmers reportedly earned FCFA 1,000.3 billion from direct cocoa sales, making the crop the country’s leading export ahead of oil and gas.
Mercy Fosoh
