Barry Callebaut has inaugurated its new state-of-the-art processing unit at its Zone 4C Société Africaine de Cacao (SACO) plant in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The new grinding unit, which is part of a CHF55 million (US$55 million) investment, will increase SACO’s cocoa bean processing capacity with over 40 percent by 2022. once the processing unit is fully operational, Barry Callebaut will employ an additional workforce of 45 people and create 120 indirect jobs.

“It is a 40 percent expansion – the two most important grinding factories from Barry Callebaut are based in Côte d’Ivoire, with one of them growing as a result of this. This is the latest tranche of the investment of a 5-year period. We continue to invest in Côte d’Ivoire,” Frank Keidel, Head of Media Relations at Barry Callebaut, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

The expansion fits with the Ivorian government’s desire to increase local cocoa processing capacity in its country and is in line with Barry Callebaut’s objective to supply the growing market for cocoa in West Africa with domestic supply.

Barry Callebaut has inaugurated its new state-of-the-art processing unit at its Zone 4C Société Africaine de Cacao (SACO) plant in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.Barry Callebaut has a long history of investing in cocoa processing in West-Africa, through its subsidiary SACO in Côte d’Ivoire, founded in 1964. Today, the Group’s two most important cocoa grinding factories, which produce cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and powder for global and regional customers, are based in Abidjan and San Pedro. Barry Callebaut says it will continue to invest in West Africa to serve its customers even better.

“This significant investment in our Cocoa processing capacities in Côte d’Ivoire is one more sign of our long term commitment to the country and to the African continent,” Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of the Barry Callebaut Group. “Not only as a supplier of high quality cocoa beans but also as an industrial base and as an emerging market for cocoa and chocolate consumption, as is also exemplified by last year’s opening of our first Chocolate Academy Center on the African continent in Johannesburg, South Africa.”

With annual sales of about US$7.1 billion in fiscal year 2017/18, Barry Callebaut positions itself as is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products – from sourcing and processing cocoa beans to producing the finest chocolates, including chocolate fillings, decorations and compounds. The group runs about 60 production facilities worldwide and employs a diverse and dedicated global workforce of more than 11,500 people.

Barry Callebaut will report its half-year results in April, when more detail will be disclosed on the current environment and company strategy.