Cameroon's local cocoa grinders purchased 32,042 tonnes of beans for grinding by the end of June, up from 30,496 tonnes in the same period in the 2012/13 season, according to statistics from the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCCB) seen on Friday.

Leading grinder Sic-Cacaos, a subsidiary of Swiss chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut, bought 31,116 tonnes by the end of June since the start of the 2013/14 season in August, up from 28,494 tonnes in the same period last year.

Sic-Cacaos bought 1,091 tonnes in June, up from 521 tonnes in May but down from 1,291 tonnes for the same month a year ago, NCCB data showed.

A second local grinding company called Chocolaterie Confiserie du Cameroun (CHOCOCAM) bought 131 tonnes in June, up from none in May and the same amount of purchases as this month last year.

Its total since the start of the season now stands at 926 tonnes, down from 2,002 tonnes for the same period in the 2012/13 season.

Sic-Cacaos processes raw cocoa beans into cocoa powder, cocoa cake and cocoa liquor which are sold in the six nations of the CEMAC sub-region, while CHOCOCAM, an affiliate of South Africa's Tiger Brand, manufactures chocolate sold in Cameroon.