Côte d’Ivoire opens $233 million cocoa grinding complex

Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s largest cocoa producer, has inaugurated a state‑owned cocoa grinding complex worth approximately $233 million (130 billion CFA francs).

Launched by Vice‑President Tiémoko Koné in the PK24 Industrial Park near Abidjan, the facility spans 21 hectares and has an initial grinding capacity of 50,000 tons per year, with expansion to 210,000 tons within two years.

The grinding complex also has a storage warehouse that can hold 160,000 tons of cocoa beans.

It also Includes a training center for cocoa and chocolate-making professions and a modern administrative complex.

Built by China Light Industry Nanning Design Engineering Co., Ltd., Chinese engineers and their Ivorian counterparts collaborated closely to install and fine-tune conveyor systems and processing equipment.

“This is the largest state‑owned cocoa processing plant in the country,” said technician N’guessan Kouassi, highlighting its role in expanding youth employment opportunities.

With Côte d’Ivoire producing roughly 2 million tons of cocoa in 2024, about 40% of global supply, and exporting nearly 1.4 million tons of raw beans, domestic processing historically hovered at just 30–44%.

In 2024 alone, Ivorian refiners processed about 777,000 tons, or approximately 44% of the harvest, according to the USDA .

Finance and agricultural data show that in 2023, Côte d’Ivoire exported 1.34 million tons of raw beans, generating $3.5 billion, while 648,000 tons of processed cocoa brought in $2.67 billion.

Minister of Agriculture Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani emphasized that the new facility aligns with national goals to deepen processing, create skilled jobs, and support industrial transformation.

For decades, Côte d’Ivoire has exported raw beans to multinationals like Cargill, Barry Callebaut, and Olam for processing. This new facility, alongside existing ones, reduces reliance on external partners and accelerates control over the cocoa value chain.