Contact:
Geraldine O’Shea +44 1932 861174, geraldine_o’shea@cargill.com
Francis De Rosa +44 1932 861174, francis_derosa@cargill.com
Cargill opens cocoa processing facility in Ghana, West Africa
COBHAM, UK – Cargill has inaugurated a new cocoa processing facility in Tema, Ghana, representing an investment of around U.S.$100 million. The plant, which uses the latest technology, has started production and has the capacity to transform 65,000 tonnes of cocoa beans per annum into high quality cocoa liquor, butter and powders for customers globally.
Today’s ceremony was officiated over by His Excellency, John A Kufuor, president of the Republic of Ghana and Greg Page, chairman and chief executive officer of Cargill. It was also attended by Isaac Osei, chief executive of the Ghana Cocoa board and Paul Naar, head of Cargill’s food ingredients operations in Europe and Africa; Jos de Loor, head of Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business and Leo Winters, head of Cargill’s cocoa operations in West Africa.
“This cocoa facility already has brought employment to almost a thousand construction workers; creates new opportunities for Ghanaian cocoa farmers; provides full time employment and training for about 200 employees in the plant, indirect employment for hundreds more, and supports Ghana’s growing economy,” commented Greg Page. “At these times of global financial uncertainty, it is particularly pleasing to mark an investment that will bring security, confidence and hope to so many and provide a wide range of high quality cocoa powders and other cocoa products for customers globally.”
The Tema plant will extend Cargill’s West Africa range of cocoa powders so that customers will be able to benefit from new colours and flavours, from which tailor-made products can be made to meet their specific needs. The facility complements Cargill’s existing cocoa processing facility in West Africa in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
A supply agreement was signed between Cargill and the Ghana Cocoa Board in June 2006 and the official groundbreaking took place in July 2007. The Tema facility has been designed with the potential to expand capacity to 120,000 tonnes of cocoa beans per annum. Such an increase in Ghanaian cocoa processing is consistent with the country’s own targets.
West Africa produces nearly three-quarters of the world’s cocoa. This Ghana investment will help Cargill meet increasing demand for high quality cocoa products from customers around the globe. The company has a network of cocoa processing and chocolate manufacturing facilities in Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Côte d’Ivoire, Brazil and the USA.
“Our schedule for construction was by many estimates ambitious, but we successfully met our deadlines,” commented Leo Winters, head of Cargill’s cocoa operations in the region. “This excellent cooperation between Ghana and Cargill bodes well for the future. Cargill has now been processing cocoa in West Africa for almost 10 years. We expect this experience to contribute positively to the success of the Tema facility and help raise further the high quality expectations that food and beverage manufacturers associate with Ghanaian cocoa.”
Editor’s Notes:
For photos of the opening ceremony in Tema, please contact Francis De Rosa: francis_derosa@cargill.com
Cargill
Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 160,000 employees in 67 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit http://www.cargill.com.
Cargill in West Africa
Cargill has been active in the West African cocoa industry for more than 10 years. The company currently has operations in cocoa processing, originating, trading and warehousing in the region. Cargill’s began its cocoa operations in Côte d’Ivoire in 1998 and production at its cocoa processing plant near Abidjan began in 2000. The products from this plant are shipped worldwide and incorporated by the world’s food industry into finished products without any further reprocessing at destination.
Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate
Cargill offers the food industry a wide range of high quality chocolate products; compound coatings, cocoa powders, butters and liquors.
Cargill operates cocoa and chocolate plants in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, UK, Brazil, USA and Côte d’Ivoire. Powder, butter and liquor are sold under the brand name “Gerkens.” The Cargill chocolate plants use part of the butter and liquor to produce top quality industrial chocolate for use in a wide range of applications in the food industry including confectionery and bakery. Cargill ranks among the largest processors of cocoa powder in the world. All Cargill cocoa plants pay the highest attention to quality control and food safety.
Cargill entered the industrial chocolate market 15 years ago with the acquisition of Wilbur, located in Pennsylvania, USA. The company’s chocolate products are sold under the brand names “Wilbur,” “Peters” and “Veliche.” In 2003, Cargill entered the European market with the acquisition of OCG Cacao SA and then bought another industrial chocolate facility in Klein Schierstedt, Germany, in 2005.
Cargill produces compound coatings and fillings in specially dedicated plants in USA and the Netherlands.
Cargill sources cocoa beans in a responsible and sustainable manner. Having a presence in all the leading cocoa producing countries enables Cargill to oversee the supply chain from cocoa beans at origin to cocoa and chocolate products on our customers’ doorstep.