The GIZ and CICC exhibit the jewels of the local cocoa

Consume cocoa in every form. This is what participants in the mini-fair organised on 11 December 2015 by the manager of the German cooperation in Cameroon, Annette Coly, at her residence on the customary celebration of the anniversary of her arrival in the country.

Centred on the theme "together on the cocoa road", this mini-fair organised with the support of the Cocoa and Coffee Council (CICC) was an opportunity to showcase the treasures of the handcrafted cocoa confectionery in the country. On the exhibitors' tables, who are mainly women, one could discover cocoa butter, nail polish and toilet soap bars made from cocoa, cocoa cakes, "cocoa nibs coated sweets" or "cocoa nibs filled dates", cocoa sauce, cocoa toffees, etc.

But, among the fifty or so different types of products exhibited, the star of the evening was without a doubt "the cocoa truffle", a crushed nibs ball. "Pure cocoa", specifies the developer of this product which, according to her, would not pale in comparison to a Ferrero Rocher. Especially when this truffle, which already created followers a few days earlier during the Festicacao 2015, is served with the "cocoa juice punch", a beverage which competed with beer during the mini-fair on 11 December.

Served in a fresh cocoa pod, this punch is handmade, like all the other products exhibited that day. "We want to not only showcase our products, but also and more importantly request for support in the processing", Bigitte Dion, member of Conafac, a cooperative society, confided.

En plus de quêter des équipements de transformation plus performants, ces transformatrices du cacao disent rechercher des réseaux formels de distribution, l’écoulement de leurs produits se faisant pour l’heure à travers des associations de femmes, les foires, les marchés périodiques, etc.
In addition to asking for better performing processing equipment, these cocoa processors say they are looking for formal distribution networks, the sale of their products being done at the moment through women's associations, fairs, periodical markets, etc.