President Biya decorates key Actors who put Cameroon on List of Exporters of Fine Cocoa

In recognition for successfully defending and placing the Cameroon origin in the selective list of producers and exporters of fine and flavored cocoa, the President of the Republic of Cameroon, Paul Biya has bestowed honours on some key personalities of the Cocoa sector.

The honours were conferred on Wednesday 18 October 2023 at the Yaounde Congress Centre by the Minister of Trade Luc Magloire MBARGA ATANGANA.

The Minister of Trade in his address said the inclusion of Cameroon in the list of fine cocoa exporters is a significant step forward in improving market prices of the Cameroonian cocoa, which in turn, increases producer prices.

Among the nine (9) recipients are four senior staff of the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCCB) who received medals of the Cameroon Order of Merit for high services to the State. They are ; Mr. NDOPING Michael, General Manager of NCCB, Mr. NANA Abdoulaye, Deputy General Manager, Mr. MUTGNI Elie Bertrand, Director of Quality and Sustainability, and Mrs. AKAMBA AVA Michèle, Director of Trade and Statistics. 

"I dedicate this medal to all Cameroon's cocoa farmers and exporters. For it is thanks to their painstaking work that we are where we are today.". These were the words of NCCB General Manager Mr. NDOPING Michael, who received the medal of Knight of the Order of Valor.

Outlining Cameroon’s vision to remain as a producer of Fine and flavoured Cocoa, the Minister of Trade stressed on the need to get to work, by strengthening the capacities of existing Centers of Excellence for post-harvest processing of cocoa. 

Aside from the four (4) recipients from NCCB, five other personalities of the sector also received presidential honours. They are ; 

Mr. NENGUE Samuel Donatien, Administrator of the Cocoa and Coffee Sector Development Fund(FODECC), who was raised to the rank of Commander of the Order of Valor. Mr. NGWE Apollinaire , President of the Cocoa and Coffee Interprofessionnal Council (CICC) was also elevated to the rank of Officer of the Order of Valor, Mr. OLINGA Narcisse Ghislain, Deputy Director in charge of External Trade at the Ministry of Trade was made a Knight of Cameroonian merit ; and Mr. Maledy Omer Gatien, Executive Secretary of the Cocoa and Coffee Inter-professional Council, Knight of Cameroonian Merit. 

Cameroon's inclusion on this list took place in Antananarivo, Madagascar this June 2023.

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