Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana handed over the 55 rehabilitated ovens Wednesday.

After Bafia in February 2013, Owe was the next stop over of the Cocoa and Coffee Interprofessional Council, CICC Wednesday 22 May in a series of handing over ceremonies of rehabilitated ovens to cocoa producers in the South West Region. The ceremony to hand over 55 rehabilitated ovens to beneficiaries in Owe, a locality situated at the outskirts of Muyuka was chaired by Trade Minister, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana.

The programme for the rehabilitation of ovens initiated by the Cocoa and Coffee Interprofessional Council falls within the framework for the promotion of good practices for drying cocoa. In his handing over speech, Minister Mbarga Atangana said the rehabilitation of the ovens constructed in 2005 with financing from European Union, is an urgent measure to curb the smell on cocoa beans from the South West region. He stressed that the government’s intention is to extend the rehabilitation and construction of good drying cocoa facilities to the rest of the South West region and Mungo Division of the Littoral region. The project is estimated at FCFA 100,000,000 financed by CICC and the ovens could last for ten years.

The project, according to officials of CICC, aims at improving the quality of Cameroon cocoa as well as enhancing the image of the cocoa sector. This also explains why some European partners were invited to witness the ceremony in a bid to have first-hand information on how the Cameroon government is involved in improving the quality of cocoa.

Speaking on behalf of the Executive President of CICC, James Mosima said the South West was chosen as first beneficiary of the project because it is a leading cocoa production zone in the country, suffers from heavy rains and hitherto had dilapidated ovens amongst others. The rest of the rehabilitated ovens, he said, would be handed in the months ahead to some communities in Meme Division.