Cargill has started construction of a new cocoa processing facility in Ghana

The new facility, located in Tema, will produce cocoa liquor, butter and powder. Capacity will start off at 65,000 metric tones, with the potential to almost double, said the firm. West Africa currently produces nearly three-quarters of the world s cocoa, and Cargill said its investment in Ghana will complement its other cocoa producing facilities to help meet increasing demand from customers around the globe. "This plant will incorporate some of the latest technology to ensure Ghanaian cocoa is processed to the highest standards," said Paul Naar, head of Cargill s Food Ingredients businesses in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Ghana is the world s second largest cocoa producing region and the country s government has pledged to increasing bean production to over 1 million tonnes. According to the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) the country s commercial crop in 2005/2006 reached a record high of 646,000 tonnes.