Contacts: Steve Fairbairn +44 1932 861174
Francis De Rosa +44 1932 861174
Cargill breaks ground for Ghanaian cocoa plant
COBHAM, UK — 19 July 2007 — Cargill has broken ground at the site where it will build a new value-added cocoa processing facility in Tema, Ghana. Today’s ceremony was attended by His Excellency John Kufuor, President of Ghana; Mr. Mark Keenum, U.S. Under Secretary of Agriculture; Mr. Isaac Osei, Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa board; Mr. Ron Christenson, Cargill’s Chief Technology Officer; Mr. Paul Naar, Head of Cargill’s Food Ingredients businesses in Europe, Middle East and Africa and Mr. Leo Winters, Head of Cargill’s West African Cocoa businesses.
A long-term supply agreement was signed between Cargill and the Ghana Cocoa Board in June 2006 paving the way for a state-of-the-art plant to be built that will produce cocoa liquor, butter and powder, processing 65,000 metric tonnes initially, with the potential to expand to 120,000 metric tonnes. The plant is expected to be operational by Summer 2008 and is part of Cargill’s continued commitment to the Ghanaian cocoa sector.
”We are excited to be making a contribution to Ghana’s growing economy. This plant will incorporate some of the latest technology to ensure Ghanaian cocoa is processed to the highest standards”, commented Paul Naar, Head of Cargill’s Food Ingredients businesses in Europe, Middle East and Africa. ”Ghana is one of the most important cocoa supplying countries in the world and creating value-added products in Ghana will not only be good for the people of Ghana, but will also allow us to provide a greater range of cocoa products to meet the growing needs of our cocoa customers around the world. We realise how fortunate we are to have access to such high quality cocoa and are grateful for the continued support and leadership of the Ghanaian Government.”
“We are delighted that Cargill has chosen Ghana to build a world-class cocoa processing facility,” said President Kufuor. ”Cargill is a well-respected private company whose involvement in our country will create jobs, benefit farmers, and contribute to the local community.”
West Africa produces nearly three-quarters of the world’s cocoa. The Ghana investment will complement Cargill’s other cocoa producing facilities to help meet increasing demand from customers around the globe. The company has a network of cocoa processing facilities in Western Europe, Côte d’Ivoire, Brazil and the USA. Cargill has been supplying quality cocoa products to customers around the world in the chocolate, confectionery and food industry for about 40 years.
Editor’s Notes:
Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 153,000 employees in 66 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 Africa
Cargill has been active in Africa since 1981 and now has operations in cocoa processing and origination, commodity trading and processing and warehousing. Cargill’s began its cocoa operations in Cote 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.
Elsewhere in Africa, Cargill has a variety of other operations. The company trades cotton and owns gins in South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia. Its South African operations also include the provision of specialty ingredients, including flavours, the trading of sugar, coal, cotton and grain and oilseeds, and the provision of risk management services to customers. In Egypt, Cargill trades grain and sugar and is involved in large-scale soyabean processing through a joint venture. In Morocco, Cargill also trades grains and oilseeds, and has texturisers and flavour operations for use in food ingredient applications. Meanwhile, in Kenya, the company has tea warehousing, handling and storage operations.
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 Cote 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 the best industrial chocolate, destined to the confectionery industries. Cargill ranks among the largest processors of cocoa powder in the world. The plant in the Netherlands operates as a leading player in the high quality segment of the market. All Cargill cocoa plants pay the highest attention to quality control and food safety.
Cargill entered the industrial chocolate market fifteen years ago with the acquisition of Wilbur, located in Pennsylvania, USA. The products are sold under the brand names “Wilbur”, “Peters” and “Veliche”. In 2003 entry into the European market was realised when OCG Cacao SA was acquired, followed by another industrial chocolate facility in Klein Schierstedt, Germany, in 2005. Substantial investments were made in the production facilities to make a complete range of high quality dark, milk and white chocolates, and an array of drops, chunks, strips and wafers.
Compound coatings and fillings are produced by specially dedicated plants in USA and the Netherlands. All expertise is in place to offer tailor made products for the ice cream, bakery and confectionery industries of the world.
Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate sources cocoa beans in a responsible and sustainable manner, with commitment and respect to the local communities. Presence in all the leading producing countries allows Cargill to oversee the supply chain from beans at origin to cocoa and chocolate products on our customers’ doorstep. In addition, extensive market research and analysis proves to be a source of valuable information to our customers.