US agribusiness giant Cargill has announced plans to build a state-of-the-art cocoa processing plant in Ghana, West Africa. The facility will produce cocoa liquor, butter and powder. Initially it will produce 60,000 tonnes, with the potential of expanding to 120,000 tonnes.


Construction is due to begin during the next few months and the facility should be operational by the end of 2007.


“As a major cocoa processor, it is important that we continue to invest in order to meet the growing needs of our cocoa customers,” said Paul Naar, head of Cargill’s food ingredients business in Europe and Africa. “The quality of Ghanaian cocoa beans is excellent, and we are pleased to invest in a country whose government is committed to cocoa and further developing its processing industry.”


The company also said that it has signed a long-term cocoa bean supply agreement with Isaac Osei, chief executive of the Ghana cocoa board.


Osei said: “Cargill’s international expertise in the cocoa industry and reputation for business excellence will have many benefits for the Ghanaian economy. The new facility will significantly increase Ghana’s ability to process cocoa beans locally, at the same time creating an important new outlet for local farmers and employment opportunities for the local community.”

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Cargill has supplied cocoa products to customers in the international chocolate, confectionery and food industry for over 40-years. The company has a network of cocoa processing facilities in Western Europe, Côte d’Ivoire, Brazil and the USA.