Kekem Cocoa Processing Factory : Major Breakthrough

Neo Industry is the name. It is one of Africa's biggest cocoa bean processing factory and it was on April 26, 2019 that the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Joseph Dion Ngute cut the symbolic ribbon officially declaring it functional. Located in Kekem, the new bean processing plant that produces cocoa butter and powder, is officially endowed with an annual production capacity of 32,000 tonnes. The project is said to have benefited from a FCFA 13 billion financing granted by the Société Commerciale de Banque (SCB Cameroon), a local subsidiary of the Moroccan banking group Attijariwafa Bank.

Apart from the tax and customs concessions offered by the government, the project also benefited, in June 2016, from direct public financing of FCFA 1.2 billion within the framework of the Agropoles project. Fully equipped by the German Buhler, presented as the world's leader in the manufacture of equipment for the chocolate industry, Neo Industry at creation had projected initiating 750 indirect jobs. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Prime Minister, Joseph Dion Ngute lauded all initiatives aimed at encouraging the production and consumption of made in Cameroon products and decorated the promoter, Emmanuel Noessi, on behalf of the Head of State. In effect, it took over three years for the 46-year old business guru; elite of Kekem and brain behind the initiative to come up with the finished processing plant. Cocoa processing output in Cameroon, Africa’s third biggest cocoa grower, is expected to double this season to 120,000 tonnes from 58,000 tonnes last season, the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana said while opening the new season last August. Plans to boost local processing of cocoa remained high on government agenda as well as other stakeholders. SIC CACAO, the local branch of Swiss Barry Callebaut, which had almost monopolised local processing said it had increased its grinding capacity at the beginning of t...