Cargill to build a cocoa processing facility in Ghana

US agrar concern Cargill is to build a cocoa processing facility in Ghana, West Africa, to produce cocoa liquor, butter and powder. The facility will be located in the port of Tema and will process 60,000 tonnes initially, with the potential to expand to 120,000 tonnes. Construction is due to begin during the next few months and the facility should be operational by the end of 2007. Isaac Osei, chief executive of the Ghana cocoa board, said: "The new facility will significantly increase Ghana s ability to process cocoa beans locally, at the same time creating an important new outlet for local farmers and employment opportunities for the local community in Tema.” Cargill has a network of cocoa processing facilities in Western Europe, Côte d Ivoire, Brazil and the USA.