:. Food Industry News

Categories: Food Ingredients News

Cameroon Cocoa-Coffee Information Plan Launched

Source: Reuters
03/06/2009

Yaounde, June 2 - Cocoa and coffee farmers in Cameroon will soon benefit from a modern market information system aimed at making the industry more profitable for farmers who now face middlemen taking a large share, officials said.

Daily News Alerts

The Infoshare system, initially planned in 2005 but launched late last week, will relay data on production, quality and international as well as local prices to farmers using the internet, mobile phones and local radio stations.

Cameroon, now the world's fifth largest cocoa producer, liberalised its coffee and cocoa sectors in 1993. The collapse of the marketing board allowed middlemen to move in and profit from lack of information about the market.

"These people buy produce from growers at very low prices and sell to exporters five times higher, " said Michael Ndoping, general manager of Cameroon's National Cocoa and Coffee Board, as he presented the initiative to farmers and exporters.

"Infoshare will collect data on production, quality and prices within and outside the country, computerise (them) and disseminate to all parts of the country....," he added.

The Infoshare system aims to build a network of some 65 community and rural radio stations broadcasting in a range of local dialects across Cameroon.

"In this way, we believe cocoa and coffee farmers will earn more money which will encourage them to produce so as to continue to make and more money," Ndoping said.

Initial estimates by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which has helped develop the scheme, estimated that greater market transparency would enable small-scale farmers to increase their returns by 10-15 percent.

"Cameroon was chosen to host the pilot project because it is a major producer of the crops," said Olivier Combe, UNCTAD's representative in Cameroon.

"If good results are obtained here, the project will be replicated in other (central African) countries, and why not, Africa as a whole," he added.

Cameroon currently produces around 190,000 tonnes of cocoa beans every year but Ndoping told Reuters earlier this year that the country aims to increase output to around 300,000 tonnes within five years.



GO   View more articles on this subject


More Alerts from 03/06/2009


Email This Article To A Colleague     Print A Copy Of This Page
 
 
 
 
FLEXNEWS - Business News for the Food Industry

About Us | Contact Us | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
 
Daily News Alerts
Related Items
Cameroon Plans to Triple Coffee Output by 2015
Cameroon Government Gives $3.4 Million to Boost Cotton,...
Cameroon Cocoa Prices Rise as Growers Stockpile
Harvest Prospects Weigh on Robustas and Cocoa
INTERVIEW: Emerging Cameroonian Cocoa Producer GIC...
Sugar, Cocoa, Coffee Fall as Dollar Firms
Ivorian Farms Spurn Coffee for More Profitable Crops
Cameroon Looks to Double Cocoa Output
Cameroon Cocoa Prices Extend Early Season Rise
Cameroon Cocoa Exports, Grindings Seen up

More in Food Industry News
Procter & Gamble Repurchasing Shares, Quiet on...
US Shoppers Going Green Despite Struggling Economy
Wessanen Sells Liberty Richter to World Finer Foods
Cheesecake Factory Sticks to 2010 Forecast
Brenntag Changes 2.5 Bln Euro Loan to Allow IPO
European Commission Refers Greece to ECJ over Unjustified...
JM Smucker's Quarterly Net Income Increases 172%
Ferrero, Hershey Would Likely Break up Cadbury
Indonesia's Astra Agro Revises Up CPO Forecast
Cocoa Supplier Olam to Benefit from Consolidation Among...

Top Headlines
Procter & Gamble Repurchasing Shares, Quiet on...
US Shoppers Going Green Despite Struggling Economy
Wessanen Sells Liberty Richter to World Finer Foods
Cheesecake Factory Sticks to 2010 Forecast
European Commission Refers Greece to ECJ over Unjustified...
JM Smucker's Quarterly Net Income Increases 172%
Cocoa Supplier Olam to Benefit from Consolidation Among...
Avebe and National Starch Food Innovation to Expand...
Auchan Backs Hypermarkets as Rivals Rethink
Ferrero Could Eye Cadbury Gum, Candy Unit
Dole Food Posts Wider Q3 Loss
Fonterra Sells Stake in UK Joint Venture to Arla
Imperial Sugar Company Closes Three-Way Joint Venture...
PepsiCo to Invest $100 Million in Egypt in 2010
Ex-Parmalat Auditors Settle US Investor Lawsuit
Tesco in Broadband Push as Reaches Beyond Groceries
India Sugar Protest Forces Parliament to Shut
Kerry Group Keeps Full Year Earnings Growth Forecast
Nestle Professional to Acquire Vitality Foodservice
Pinnacle Foods Acquires Birds Eye Foods for USD 1.3...
DSM Makes Great Strides in Production Processes for...
Russian Grocer X5 Plans Higher 2010 Capex
Brazil: Laep in Talks to Sell Dairy Plant to Nestle
SunOpta Announces Opening of Natural and Organic Sesame...
Products Comprising, and Uses of, Decarboxylated Phenolic...
Process for the Preparation of Packaged Heat-Preserved...


 


FLEXNEWS 2009 - All rights reserved
ISSN 1950-6228