COBHAM, UK, Nov. 4, 2008 – Cargill has inaugurated a new cocoa processing facility in Tema, Ghana, representing an investment of around U.S.$100 million. The plant, which uses the latest technology, has started production and has the capacity to transform 65,000 tonnes of cocoa beans per annum into high quality cocoa liquor, butter and powders for customers globally.
Today’s ceremony was officiated over by His Excellency, John A Kufuor, president of the Republic of Ghana and Greg Page, chairman and chief executive officer of Cargill. It was also attended by Isaac Osei, chief executive of the Ghana Cocoa board and Paul Naar, head of Cargill’s food ingredients operations in Europe and Africa; Jos de Loor, head of Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business and Leo Winters, head of Cargill’s cocoa operations in West Africa.
“This cocoa facility already has brought employment to almost a thousand construction workers; creates new opportunities for Ghanaian cocoa farmers; provides full time employment and training for about 200 employees in the plant, indirect employment for hundreds more, and supports Ghana’s growing economy,” commented Greg Page. “At these times of global financial uncertainty, it is particularly pleasing to mark an investment that will bring security, confidence and hope to so many and provide a wide range of high quality cocoa powders and other cocoa products for customers globally.”
The Tema plant will extend Cargill’s West Africa range of cocoa powders so that customers will be able to benefit from new colours and flavours, from which tailor-made products can be made to meet their specific needs. The facility complements Cargill’s existing cocoa processing facility in West Africa in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
A supply agreement was signed between Cargill and the Ghana Cocoa Board in June 2006 and the official groundbreaking took place in July 2007. The Tema facility has been designed with the potential to expand capacity to 120,000 tonnes of cocoa beans per annum. Such an increase in Ghanaian cocoa processing is consistent with the country’s own targets.
West Africa produces nearly three-quarters of the world’s cocoa. This Ghana investment will help Cargill meet increasing demand for high quality cocoa products from customers around the globe. The company has a network of cocoa processing and chocolate manufacturing facilities in Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Côte d’Ivoire, Brazil and the USA.
“Our schedule for construction was by many estimates ambitious, but we successfully met our deadlines,” commented Leo Winters, head of Cargill’s cocoa operations in the region. “This excellent cooperation between Ghana and Cargill bodes well for the future. Cargill has now been processing cocoa in West Africa for almost 10 years. We expect this experience to contribute positively to the success of the Tema facility and help raise further the high quality expectations that food and beverage manufacturers associate with Ghanaian cocoa.”