Cameroon's local cocoa grinders had purchased 6,811 tonnes of beans by the end of September, up from 6,619 tonnes in the same period in the 2013/14 season, according to statistics from the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCCB) seen on Tuesday.

Leading processor Sic-Cacaos, a subsidiary of Swiss chocolatier Barry Callebaut, bought 4,668 tonnes of beans in September, the second month of Cameroon's cocoa season.

The country's only other grinder Chocolaterie Confiserie du Cameroun (CHOCOCAM), an affiliate of South Africa's Tiger Brands, bought 197 tonnes of cocoa during the month.

Total purchase for September were 4,865 tonnes, up from 4,057 tonnes for the same month last year.

Sic-Cacaos processes raw cocoa beans into cocoa powder, cocoa cake and cocoa liquor. The products are sold in the six-nation CEMAC bloc, which also includes Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon.

CHOCOCAM sells its products only in Cameroon.