About 500 cocoa producers in the South West region have benefitted financial premiums to the tune of FCFA 104,681,794 as compensation for their efforts geared towards producing certified cocoa beans.

The lump sum distributed to the farmers by Telcar Cocoa Ltd is the first phase of premiums to some 1008 farmers that completed a training programme dubbed "Farmers Field School" organised and implemented by Telcar and its partners within the framework of Cargil Cocoa Promise.

The premiums to the farmers varied according to their production capacities as for every kilogramme of certified cocoa supplied, the producer gets FCFA 50 as premium. Handing over the cheques to the beneficiaries, the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Atangana Mbarga who chaired the ceremony at the premises of the Muyuka Council Wednesday 3rd September, 2014, lauded the initiative of the organisers and stressed the importance of certification of Cameroonian cocoa in the international market.

"It is very important because we need to implement and reinforce our place in international market. The market now requires quality and certification is one of those ways to attain these requirements," the Minister said.

Speaking earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of Telcar Cocoa, Mme Kate Kamji-Tometi Fotso pointed out that training the farmers for good agricultural practices is a win-win situation as it improves the quality and quantity that the farmers will produce as well as their incomes. She stressed that the programme has already trained 7750 farmers since 2012 while 4500 have been certified by 2014.