The Barry Callebaut Group, a cocoa processing factory operating at Tema is installing a second grinding line to increase its processing capacity from 30,000 to 60,000 tonnes annually.

This would double the company?s processing capacity for the production of cocoa liquor and butter and also be in line with Ghana?s policy of processing 40 per cent of cocoa locally.

A statement issued in Accra by the Ghana Cocoa Board said that the factory would soon begin the production of covertures (industrial chocolate).

Barry Callebaut was commissioned in November 2001 with a procession capacity of 30,000 tonnes per annum within the Tema Free Zone enclave.

Mr Kwame Sarpong, chief executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board, received a letter from the company informing the board of the investment. He commended the management of Barry Callebaut for the investment.

Mr Sarpong, noted that COCOBOD was considering applications from some of the major international cocoa processing companies that have expressed desire to establish plants in the country.

The on-going expansion projects in Barry Callebaut and the Cocoa Processing Company, he said, would increase the country?s total processing capacity beyond 235,000 tonnes pre annum.