Cargill commissions US$13 million cocoa processing plant expansion in Tema

Cargill has completed a US$13 million expansion of its cocoa processing facility in Tema, expanding the company’s cocoa-grinding capability to match growing consumer demands for cocoa powder.

In recognition of the achievement, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo attended the ceremony as the Special Guest of Honour and was received by an executive team led by Harold Poelma, president of Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate.

The multi-million-dollar investment took 16 months to complete and increased the plant’s grind capability by 20%, bolstering its annual production capacity to 90,000 tonnes.

The initial nameplate capacity of 65,000 tonnes was pushed to 75,000 tonnes through the efficient management of the Ghanaian team, giving room for this expansion.

The facility upgrades will also support hundreds of new direct and indirect jobs.

Cargill’s Poelma explained that the project, which was sparked by the growing global demand for cocoa, also supports the company’s long-term commitment to continuously invest in the cocoa sector and create more opportunities within the value chain.

“This kind of investment can serve as an engine to jump-start new economic activities,” Poelma said.

“It’s part of our ongoing effort to build sustainable, local agri-food businesses, diversify revenue streams and support a thriving cocoa sector.”

The plant expansion project aligns with the government of Ghana’s vision to accelerate economic progress through agricultural industrialization whilst improving the welfare of farmers and solidifying the country’s position as one of the world’s largest producers of cocoa.

President Akufo-Addo highlighted this point in his keynote address: “I want to congratulate the management and staff for their significant contribution to the success of this company,” he said.

“The commissioning of this expansion today underscores the importance of the private sector to government’s industrial transformation programme.”

He further reflected on the impact that Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate has made in the country in creating a more sustainable cocoa sector and acknowledged that the plant expansion will present an avenue for economic development.

“I’m of the firm conviction that industrialization of private sector development is a great opportunity to expand the economy and create more jobs, particularly for our young people. I also believe that for this country to develop rapidly, there is the need for deliberate attempts to add value to our natural resources.

“It’s against this background that I would like to commend Cargill for what they are doing in our cocoa sector.” the president said.

Alongside the commissioning of the Tema processing facility, Cargill highlighted other efforts to drive sector transformation and social impact, often in partnership with state agencies such as COCOBOD and other key stakeholders such as CARE and Safe Water Ghana.

In 2021 alone, Cargill invested nearly GHC12 million in supporting local community projects to build solar water systems and add school classroom blocks.

In addition, Cargill provided funding and support for nearly 70 other community-identified projects.

Speaking about the importance of working with partners, Aedo van der Weij, managing director, Cargill Ghana, said: “Establishing close partnership with government agencies, technical partners and local community leaders enables us to make meaningful impacts in the communities where we do business. They share our vision and help guide our efforts in creating a sustainable cocoa supply chain. Working together, we can achieve far more than we ever could alone.”

In that spirit, Cargill continues to drive progress in the areas of farmer resilience, community well-being, environment, and transparency, delivering lasting impact across the value chain. With the use of GPS polygon mapping and a Cooperative Management System (CMS) through its CocoaWise™ digital platform, it has achieved 100 percent traceability and accountability in its Ghanaian supply chain from farm to factory.

Its reputation as a leading and reputable player in the cocoa industry is strengthened by its commitment and efforts to address complicated issues such as child labour and deforestation.

In attendance at the event held at the plant in Tema was the Ambassador of the United States of America H.E. Stephanie Sullivan, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Hon. Michael Okyere Baafi.

The current board chair of COCOBOD, Peter McManu and the immediate past one Hackman Owusu Agyemang, the chief executive of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahene Aidoo and his deputy Dr Emmanuel Opoku,  as well as executives from the Free Zones Authority and Cargill partners and stakeholders such as CARE, Solidaridad were also present.

About Cargill

Cargill’s 155,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive.

The company combines 155 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture.

Cargill in Ghana

Cargill has been buying cocoa from Ghana for over 40 years and in 2008 opened its state-of-the-art cocoa processing facility in Tema.

Today the company has over 330 permanent and contracted employees processing cocoa products to service food and confectionary customers locally and around the world.

Additionally, the company’s animal nutrition business provides aqua feed which is supporting Ghana’s tilapia fish industry.

In 2016 we added a licensed buying company (LBC). Our LBC operations bring innovative ways to trade with our farmers, placing emphasis on our sustainability and traceability efforts and building on our long-term commitment to the country and our relationship with the government.

Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate provides high quality cocoa and chocolate more sustainably throughout the world and brings our customers peace of mind, integrity and excitement. With balanced efforts on security of supply, sustainability projects and sensory expertise, we create a wide range of outstanding standardized and custom-made products and services.

In addition, the company provides customers with extensive market knowledge. We grow a robust, fair and transparent supply chain, from bean to bar, eager to continuously shape industry standards.

To ensure a more sustainable supply of quality cocoa beans, Cargill established our own sourcing and trading operations at origin in Brazil, Ecuador, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Indonesia. Our Cargill Cocoa Promise underlines our commitment to enable farmers and their communities achieve better incomes and living standards.

A team of 4,4100 passionate cocoa and chocolate experts work across 57 locations and are part of Cargill’s 155,000 colleagues around the world.

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