From May 29 to 31, 2024, the Esplanade of Yaoundé City Hall and the jardins de la Place du Gouvernement in Douala will host the Cacao & Coffee Festival, a merger of the renowned Festicacao and Festicoffee events.
At a press conference held on Monday, May 27, 2024, Minister of Commerce Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, accompanied by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Gabriel Mbairobe, unveiled the details of this much-anticipated event.
Also in attendance were Félix Zogo, Secretary General of the Ministry of Communication, representing the Minister of Communication, the President of the CICC, the Executive Secretary of the CICC, the Administrator of FODECC, Indian experts, and directors of central and decentralized services of the Ministry of Commerce.
Under the theme “Valorizing the Cacao and Coffee of Our Regions” (𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗼 𝗲𝘁 𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗳é 𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗿𝘀), this festival retains the essence of its predecessors despite its more compact format. With confirmed participation from thirteen countries, including Belgium, Côte-d’Ivoire, France, Gabon, India, Italy, and Senegal, the event is set to be an international showcase.
“Without a doubt, this is an event whose scope has now reached an international, if not global, level, reflecting the relevance of the public policies implemented by the Government,” said the Minister of Commerce.
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Among the notable guests expected are the Executive Director of the International Cocoa Organization, the President of the International Coffee Council, the Permanent Representative of Côte-d’Ivoire to International Commodity Organizations in London, the President of Lady Agry, the Confédération des Chocalatiers et Confiseurs de France (Confederation of French Chocolatiers and Confectioners), PURATOS, and the Directors General of the Conseil Café-Cacao de Côte-d’Ivoire, de la Caisse de Stabilisation (Coffee-Cocoa Council of Côte-d’Ivoire), the Péréquation du Gabon (Stabilization and Equalization Fund of Gabon), and the l’office National des Produits Agricoles du Congo (National Office of Agricultural Products of Congo).
Minister Mbarga Atangana emphasized that the festival is happening “in a special context, buoyed by particularly favorable winds for both cacao and coffee, with producer prices that have gone up, if not reached, Himalayan peaks.” He further noted that the event is organized “to locally valorize our products and promote their domestic consumption to counterbalance the often erratic fluctuations of international markets.”
In addition to the traditional fair and exhibition activities, this edition introduces three major innovations: the Cocoa & Coffee Challenge, Coffee Tasting Initiation, and the Transformers’ Tribune. These initiatives promise enriching exchanges and increased valorization opportunities for cacao, coffee, and their derivatives in the market.
For further information, OpenHub Consulting is available to assist businesses and individuals interested in leveraging this festival’s opportunities to the fullest.