Trinidad and Tobago opens first cocoa-processing facility

Trinidad and Tobago has unveiled its first cocoa-processing facility, the Trinidad and Tobago Fine Cocoa Company, in Centeno.

The enterprise is the result of a public-private partnership between the government and businessman Ashley Parasram.

An initial investment of around $5m was made at the factory, out of which, $3m was used in purchasing equipments from Brazil.

The factory will have the capacity to process 50 metric tonnes (mt) of cocoa beans every year, with scope for further increase this to 150mt by 2017.

The facility would buy cocoa beans from local farmers to process them into cocoa liquor or unsweetened baking chocolate that will be sold exclusively to UK-based company Artisan du Choco­late. This liquor will be used to make chocolate products with six flavours, reported the Trinidad Express.

Speaking at the launch, Trinidad and Tobago food production minister Devant Maharaj said that the country had witnessed a steady drop in cocoa production in the last 24 years with the total cocoa production in 1990 being around 2,100mt, reducing to 1,600t in 2000, 950t in 2010 and 350t in 2014.

Maharaj further added that while the cocoa produced by the country was considered to be one of the best in the world, cocoa farmers were still making less money out of the business.

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Image: Trinidad and Tobago opens first cocoa-processing facility. Photo courtsey of phasinphoto via freedigitalphotos.net.