Cocoa, Coffee Festival begins in Yaounde.

The festival, which is a merger of FestiCocoa and FestiCoffee, is organised by the Cocoa and Coffee Inter-professional Council, CCIC, in partnership with the Ministry of Trade.

The 2024 edition will take place at the courtyard of the Yaounde City Council, under the theme: “Let’s valourise the cocoa and coffee of our soil”. 

The festival will run till May 31. The minister said the event will be marked by a grand tasting of cocoa and coffee and its byproducts in Douala on May 30 and a series of trainings and competitions.

Minister Mbarga Atangana underscored the context of the event, three years after COVID-19 stroke the globe.

He said the event will serve as an opportunity for visitors to enjoy the richness and diversity of the country’s cocoa and coffee industry. He also cited the ingenuity of small-scale farmers and manufacturers.

“This is undoubtedly an event which influence is now felt at an international, if not world level, which sufficiently demonstrates the relevance of the public policies implemented under the distinguished stewardship of the Head of State,” the minister stated.

The festival, he added, seeks to enhance the local value of “our commodities and promoting their domestic consumption to counterbalance erratic price fluctuations often fuelled on the international market”.

Major innovations

According to Minister Mbarga Atangana, the merging of the two festivals has brought a lot of innovation among them; the Cocoa and Coffee Challenge, the introduction to coffee tasting and the processor forum.

The Cocoa and Coffee Challenge that will spice the festival, the member of government said, will bring together four hotel management training centres. 

He said there will be a question and answer session on the preparation of cocoa and coffee-based dishes.

Festival great exchange opportunity 

Minister Luc Magloire during the presser noted that apart from exhibitions, the festival also equally a great platform to exchange and learn the arts of coffee tasting.

He equally noted that during the festival, an international expert in the domain of coffee from India, which happens to be a great coffee nation, Akanksha Kupta, will be training some 30 Cameroonians roasters and teams from the African and Malagasy Robusta Coffee Agency, ACRAM in coffee cupping.

The festival, he further said, will be a platform of exchange between stakeholders in the processing segment.

Salutes CCIC, partners 

The minister equally used the opportunity to salute the Cocoa and Coffee Inter-Professional Council, CCIC, and its partners as well as other umbrella organisations for work done.

He also praised the National Cocoa and Coffee Board and its Director, Ndoping Michael; the Cocoa and Coffee Subsector Development Fund, and its Administrator, Nengue Samuel Donatie; the Cocoa Development Corporation and other partners.

Over 13 countries to take part in festival

The Minister of Trade disclosed that 13 countries will be taking part in the festival. Among them he mentioned ; Beligium, Cote d’Ivoire, France, Gabon, Great Britain, India, Italy, Liberia, DR Congo, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia.

The press briefing took place in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbairobe; the Secretary General of the Ministry of Communication, Prof Felix Zogo; the Chairperson of CCIC Board as well as officials in the cocoa and coffee sector.