(Business in Cameroon) – French chocolatier Olivier Bordais, managing SAS MANTA, will start production at the 3 000 m² Chocolat Rouge plant in Nkol-Melen, Obala, in January 2026. The €1.5 million investment is designed to process about 1 000 tonnes of cocoa beans annually into premium tablets and filled chocolates for Cameroon and for export to the European Union.
The launch coincides with the entry into force of the EU Deforestation Regulation on 30 December 2025, which requires that all cocoa shipped to Europe be traceable to plots that have not been deforested since 31 December 2020. Cameroonian authorities report that roughly 28 000 cocoa farms—covering nearly 99 % of the country’s export-grade output—have been geo-referenced and uploaded to the national traceability platform, although observers note that gaps persist in some areas such as Nkondjock.
In addition to deforestation rules, cocoa bound for the EU must meet food-safety limits set by Regulation 2023/915, which caps cadmium in finished chocolate at 0.10–0.80 milligrams per kilogram depending on cocoa content. Chocolat Rouge has begun collecting baseline farm samples for laboratory analysis to verify that incoming beans can meet these thresholds.
Domestically, competition for beans is intensifying. Cameroon harvested 309 518 tonnes in 2024–25, with 109 431 tonnes processed locally and about 192 000 tonnes exported raw, according to figures from the Ministry of Trade. Installed grinding capacity is already around 180 000 tonnes per year, with new lines adding 28 000 tonnes in 2025–26. Larger processors such as SIC-Cacaos and Atlantic Cocoa dominate, while some grinders have slowed production or sought import permits due to shortages. Farm-gate prices ranged from FCFA 3 210 to 5 400 per kilogram last season.
To secure its raw-material base, Chocolat Rouge is mapping supply areas in Lékié division, where 1 840 hectares have already been geo-referenced, and is discussing data-sharing protocols with the Inter-professional Cocoa and Coffee Council. Equipment is scheduled for delivery in December 2025, followed by cold commissioning in January 2026.
Mercy Fosoh
