Cargill rewards cocoa farmers with 104 million CFA francs

Prior to the 2014-2015 cocoa season, which was officially launched September 4, 2014 at Bot Makak (a production area of the Central Region), Telcar Cocoa, local trader of worldwide firm Cargill, gave grants to 500 certified Cameroonian cocoa producers on September 3, in Muyuka in the South West region.

They have received more than 104 million CFA francs, equivalent to 50 CFA francs per kilogram of certified cocoa produced during the last campaign.

Telcar Cocoa, which is the largest cocoa exporter in the country, rewarded for the first time in Cameroon its partners in the "Cargill Cocoa Promise" program.

It covered half of the 1000 Cameroonian farmers, whose best farming method, post-harvest and environmental cocoa production were certified (UTZ and Rainforest) during the 2012-2013 campaign.

Accordance with current standards in the certification process, the premium is paid to these producers, after the delivery of a certain tonnage of certified cocoa during the cocoa season 2013- 2014, which officially ended on 15 July, we learnt from the Interprofessional Council of cocoa and coffee (CICC).

"Often, half of the premium is paid directly to individual farmers, while the other half is generally used to provide services to farmer members of farmers' organizations," says an expert in the sector.

To recall, the certification that contributes to the overall improvement of the cocoa quality, ensures that cocoa sold outside of producing countries was not only produced in strict respect of social and environmental standards, but also not a product of the forced children labor.

The returns for this type of cocoa thus rewards the producers' efforts to meet these strict criteria.