Solemn Ceremony to Launch the 2023/2024 Cocoa Season in Ngomedzap
The Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire MBARGA ATANGANA, launched the 2023-2024 cocoa season on 7 September 2023 in the presence of all the key stakeholders in the Nyong et So'o Division. One of the highlights was the inauguration of the new storage warehouse for SOCOPROCAM Farmers.
Ngomedzap was in a celebratory mood. With drums and rattles, the natives jubilated. Cocoa is a precious product for the economy of our country, Cameroon. But the cocoa from Mvem in particular is premium cocoa. The gale of administrative, religious and traditional authorities, as well as the college of ministers, was proof of the magnitude of this event.
Mme BLEUE Régine TSOUNGUI, Mayor of the Community of Ngomedzap, said she was honored by the presence of all these elites in her locality. In outlining the needs of producers in her town, she expressed the hope that Mvem would become the leading locality for the production of top-quality cocoa in Cameroon.
H.E Grégoire Owona, Minister of Labour and Social Security and a local elite, also expressed his wishes. In his speech of thanks, he emphasized the fact that Ngomedzap is a cocoa-growing area that just needs to be looked after. To this end, he asked for the support of his counterparts in MINADER and Commerce, not forgetting foreign partners such as C TURKISH, which contributed 16 million CFA francs to the construction of the new storage warehouse, which was handed over to SOCOPROCAM today.
Making Ngomedzap a centre for organic cocoa production is on the agenda of MINADER and MINCOMMERCE. "Yes! We are inseparable, because I produce and he sells. And he sells very well," said H.E Gabriel MBAIROBE, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, in his speech. Although our agriculture faces a number of challenges, including protecting the environment and consumers, cocoa has a special place in Cameroon's economy: 8 out of 10 regions produce cocoa. This equates to 600,000 hectares under cultivation, 2 million jobs and a turnover of 3 billion euros.
Before cutting the ribbon of the new storage warehouse, H.E Luc Magloire MBARGA ATANGANA invited his brothers and sisters and all the natives of Nyong et So'o to implore the ancestors and oracles to bless NGOMEDZAP even more. He also called for peace and more hard work, so that Cameroonian cocoa farmers in general, and those from Mvem in particular, would be the richest. He ended by inviting producers to be more vigilant.
The ceremony ended on a festive note with the presentation of gifts of agricultural equipment to SOCOPROCAM producers. The donations were received by Mrs Constance Owona, Chairman of the Supervisory Committee.
Assessment of the 2022-2023 marketing year
- National production marketed during the 2022-2023 season peaked at 263,613 tonnes, compared with 295,163 tonnes from the previous season.
- We recorded a 43% export volume with 7% in grade 1 last season indicating an improvement in the quality of our beans.
- Similarly, the volume for local processing increased to 89,205 tonnes as compared to the 86,850 tonnes recorded in the 2021/2022 season.
You can consult the full report on the 2022-2023 cocoa season at the following link