The National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC) has just launched the first phase of rehabilitative operations on the ovens for drying cocoa in the production areas where the rainy season coincides with harvest. According to the ONCC, a total of 2,500 ovens will be rehabilitated in 400 villages of the South-West region, for an investment of 1.7 billion FCfa. The operation will last 12 months.

The ONCC indicates that a total of 10,000 ovens have been identified in the South-West and Coastal regions. All this drying equipment was built in the late 1990s and are practically in a dilapidated state today as the standard lifespan of a drying oven is usually 12 years. This was explained by Joël Martin Atangana, National Project Coordinator.

The oven rehabilitation operation, stated Michael Ndoping, Director General of the ONCC, should help to improve the quality of Cameroonian cocoa and increase producers’ earnings. Cocoa dried in defective ovens or dried through small scale means in the rainy season give-off a smoked odour which affects the quality and, consequently, the price on the international market.

According to Mr Ndoping, the price vacillates between 40 and 80 pounds Sterling per kilogramme. This represents a major loss of revenue for the sector which ONCC estimates to be 48 billion FCfa per season.