Cargill has completed a USD 100 m expansion of its cocoa processing facilities in Yopougon/Ivory Coast, a move that adds significant volumes to the company’s cocoa-grinding capacity. With this investment, that increases the capacity by 50,000 t/a, the Yopougon facility is now the single largest cocoa-grinding plant in Africa. The upgrades, which include infrastructure enhancements and safety improvements, increased production capacity at the site by 50 %, creating nearly 100 full-time local jobs and hundreds of indirect jobs. Notably, a significant share of the plant’s additional processing capacity will supply dark brown cocoa powders in high demand.
While the Yopougon expansion was driven by unprecedented demand for Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate products, it also supports its larger vision to transform the cocoa sector. “Consumers, especially in Eastern European, Middle Eastern and African markets, are increasingly drawn to bakery and confectionery products with the strong chocolatey visual appeal made possible by rich, deep brown cocoa powders,” says Niels Boetje, Cocoa Managing Director for Cargill’s Cocoa and Chocolate business. “With the new technology installed at our Yopougon plant, we’re now better equipped to supply the full range of our customers’ needs, from delicate light to intensely dark Gerkens cocoa powders”.
Harold Poelma, President of Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate, adds: “This investment will catalyze the establishment of a broader, local agri-food industry, as we shift a greater share of our global grinding activities to the countries of origin”. Today, the newly upgraded facility produces cocoa powder, cocoa butter, liquid cocoa liquor and solid cocoa liquor – high-quality ingredients exported around the world.
West African nations, including Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria are trying to move up the value chain, away from exporting raw beans. Currently, the Netherlands hold the top spot for grinding operations globally, but with the size of their production, Ivory Coast has the potential to challenge that. The scope is quite significant, since out of the 2,200,0000 t of beans they produced last year, they exported three-quarters of that, and only processed 25 % domestically. Total grinding capacity in Ivory Coast could reach more than 678,000 t by 2022, up from 564,000 t last year.
