Cameroon has laid the foundation stone for a new cocoa grinding and processing plant in Baré-Bakem, Moungo Division of the Littoral Region, further consolidating its position as a leading local processor of its cocoa output.
On 27 February 2026, the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbairobe, presided over the ceremony for the industrial unit of Samen Industry S.A, owned by Cameroonian entrepreneur Patrice Samen.
According to the Ministry of Trade, the new factory, with an annual processing capacity of 32,000 tonnes of cocoa beans, adds to the country’s installed processing capacity, which now exceeds 250,000 tonnes.
The ministry adds that during the last campaign, commercialised production stood at about 300,000 tonnes, meaning more than 80% of national output is now processed locally.
The Minister of Trade described the performance as a world record, noting that the sector had previously set a target of 40% local processing, a threshold that has since been surpassed.
According to authorities, the project aligns with the National Development Strategy, NDS30 and the import-substitution policy. The new unit is expected to strengthen domestic value addition and reduce exposure to raw commodity exports.
Producers urged to share in industrial capital
Beyond capacity expansion, the Minister of Trade outlined the objective of ensuring that locally generated value benefits the entire cocoa chain, particularly producers.
He referred to volatility and speculation on international commodity markets and stated that the Government is working to address market opacity affecting raw material trade.
Local transformation was presented as a structural response to fluctuations in global prices.
The Minister called on industrial operators to open their share capital to producer cooperatives, enabling farmers to receive dividends from semi-finished and finished cocoa products, in addition to the farm-gate price of beans.
According to the Ministry of Trade, the Baré-Bakem event forms part of a broader effort to structure the cocoa sector.
The ministry adds that the commissioning of the Samen Industry S.A plant represents an additional step in Cameroon’s strategy to anchor cocoa processing within its borders, expand industrial capacity and increase the share of value retained in the domestic economy.
The Ministry of Trade further revealed that before July 2026, ahead of the next cocoa campaign, the Government plans to convene stakeholders to define a national cocoa policy. The consultations are expected to address revenue distribution while maintaining quality standards associated with Cameroon-origin cocoa.
On 20 February 2026, Cameroon won a gold medal at the 10th edition of the Cocoa of Excellence Awards, held alongside the Chocoa Trade Fair in Amsterdam, reinforcing its international reputation for quality.
