Decision to produce Nescafe in Cameroon is late - Minister

According to Cameroon’s Minister of Commerce, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, the decision that was recently made by Nestlé Cameroon to produce Nescafé in Cameroon using local coffee is a little late.

The Minister made this comment in an interview with Commodafrica. "From a global point of view, the government’s idea to encourage the use of Cameroonian products and the marketing of products of Cameroon origin is a good one.

Also, the fact that Nestlé fits into this idea is good thing.” However, he complained that the decision came “a little late” since it was suppose to have being implemented a long time ago.

To the Minister, this will stop Nestlé Cameroon from importing shiploads of Nescafe from Côte d'Ivoire.

"As part of CEMAC, we decided to set up a new mechanism that involves granting approvals for the free movement of products originating in one of the Member States of CEMAC products, either because the products are 100% local, or simply because there is some local added value from local products about 40%. (...)

This group was declared eligible for a number of its products. But the Nescafé probably not in the list of these products, provided that local processing, and therefore the incorporation of Cameroonian coffee is included in the final product, "says Minister for Trade.

As a reminder, according to statistics provided by officials of Nestlé Cameroon, production plant in Douala, from which the Cameroonian subsidiary of the Swiss food group supplies the CEMAC market, it is given only 1% Nescafé, 90% by the Maggi cube, against 9% Nido milk packed in sachets.