Ivory Coast expands cocoa processing capacity by 200,000 tonnes

Ivory Coast’s cocoa industry regulator, Le Conseil Café-Cacao, plans to soon increase its processing capacity to 200,000 tonnes of cocoa beans per year. The growth will be driven by expansion works at the factory in the port city of San Pedro and the construction of a new storage infrastructure in the capital Abidjan, as reported by the state-owned newspaper Fraternité Matin and confirmed by CEO Yves Koné. The project foresees a significant increase in processing capacity: In addition, a large-scale warehouse is being built in Abidjan, with the capacity to store up to 300,000 tonnes of cocoa beans. According to Yves Koné, the new facilities represent a strategic step forward: “The infrastructure we are building in Abidjan and San Pedro will allow us to reach 200,000 tonnes of processed cocoa.” The increase in processing capacity reflects efforts by Ivory Coast — the world’s largest cocoa producer — to add value to its production locally. By processing more beans domestically, the ...