Cocoa and banana processing center opened in Belize


A cocoa and banana processing center, with a capacity of five tonnes/year, was inaugurated on Monday in the municipality of Belize, Cabinda province.

Built under the Local Development and Fight against Poverty Program (PDLCP), the project is budgeted at more than 15 million kwanzas and aims to encourage local farmers to increase the production of these field products, for their transformation.

The factory was inaugurated by the governor of Cabinda, Suzana de Abreu.

For the municipal administrator of Belize, Natalício Gomes, with the entry into operation of this infrastructure, farmers in Beliza no longer lose considerable amounts of cocoa in agricultural fields.

For investor Miguel Gonçalves, the center will also dedicate itself to the free training of cocoa growers on the techniques of seedling production, plant pruning, harvesting, handling of capsules, fermentation and drying of species.

He added that the centre will also be in charge of the flow of dried cocoa to Luanda, to be transformed into artis
anal chocolate.

Despite the potential for cocoa production, Angola still does not have the capacity to transform and elaborate it into industrial chocolate.

Source: Angola Press News Agency