Launching 2016/2017 cocoa season:

Gov’t frowns at illegal practices in cocoa sector

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Minister of Trade, Luc MagloireAtangana 

hitting hard at fraudsters in cocoa sector

The 2016/2017 cocoa season has been launched in the country with the Minister of Trade, Luc MagloireMbargaAtangana challenging cocoa farmers to double production as a means towards boosting the country’s export earnings.

                Presiding over the solemn launching ceremony in Konye, in Meme Division of the SW region, on 3 August 2016, the Minister of Trade frowned at the unorthodox and counter-productive practices of some dealers in the sector, some of whom he indicted of fraudulently exporting cocoa to the foreign market. MagloireAtangana noted that some cocoa exporters declare quantities far below what they actually export out of the country, while others sell directly to foreign buyers in the black market thus evading taxes that would otherwise been levied on the produce if the appropriate channels were used.

                The Minister said such nefarious practices compromise the country’s Balance of Payments and the Gross Development Product GDP of the national economy, apart from affecting the country’s production capacity rating in the international market.

                Minister Luc MagloireAtangana said the choice of Konye to host the event was not by coincidence but because the South West region is one if not the biggest cocoa production regions in the country and with the town of Konye being one of the biggest single producers. 

                “We chose the South West region to host the launching ceremony as a sign of appreciation for their hard work and as an incentive to motivate the farmers to do even more,” the minister said, urging authorities of the cocoa and coffee to speed up the rehabilitation and enhancement project for cocoa driers so as to reduce the problems facing cocoa farmers in the region.  The CCB was also urged to provide much-needed inputs to the farmers so as to enable them to improve on the quality and quantity of their output. 

                Minister Luc Magloire in the course of the ceremony declared 1600 FCFA as the official price for a kilogram of cocoa in the country. But when The Median newspaper caught up with Mr. Dominique Dienghojoh, a cocoa agent with OLAMCAM SarlKonye, he revealed the ministers declaration was just the free on board (FOB) price. According to him the 1600 FCFA is not the true price on the field. The exporter takes the FOB price and reduces the charges incurred in processing cocoa before coming out with the field price that ends up in the hands of the farmers”

                Meanwhile, welcoming the august guest, the mayor of Konye council, Barrister Musima George described Konye as an emerging city and a fountain of abundance with annual production of over 16.000 tons of cocoa per year. As the second cocoa-producing subdivision in Meme division and the third cocoa basin in the South West region, the mayor thanked the ministries of Agriculture and rural development and that of Public works for coming to the aid of the rural population of Konye.

He equally called on the government to listen to the problems of the farmers such as lack of inputs, low quality driers, poor farm to market roads and many others in order to improve on both quality and quantity of output.

                The launching ceremony was attended by officials from the national cocoa and coffee board, cocoa stakeholders from all over the national territory, business persons and administrative officials from the south west region and other parts of the country.

                It was equally graced with traditional dances from the konye women, notably the MbakwaSupe group and the lucky star youths of Ngolobolo.