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Kate Fotso, the businesswoman behind Telcar Cocoa and one of Cameroon’s most influential agribusiness figures, has suspended operations at her cocoa processing plants, blaming a steep decline in bean quality that she says is jeopardizing the country’s place in the global chocolate market.
Fotso told local producers this week that Telcar cannot continue grinding beans that fall short of international standards. Farmers, she said, are delivering cocoa with low fat content, high acidity and excess debris — flaws that damage processing equipment and erode profits.
“This isn’t about punishing farmers,” Fotso said in a phone interview to journalists. “It’s about protecting Cameroon’s reputation. We cannot sell what the world won’t buy.”
The suspension sends ripples through Cameroon’s cocoa belt. Telcar is one of the country’s largest buyers, and growers are already worried about prices as climate shifts batter crops. Unpredictable rainfall — long droughts followed by sudden downpours — has hurt flowering and fruiting, while new pests and crop diseases linked to climate stress have further dented yields.
Cocoa experts say Fotso’s move reflects a broader problem across West Africa, where buyers are tightening quality controls to secure premium prices amid global supply disruptions. “This is a wake-up call,” said agricultural analyst Martin Ekani. “If quality doesn’t improve, Cameroon risks losing buyers to competitors.”
Fotso has pledged to work with growers on training and post-harvest handling, from proper fermentation to better drying techniques. Telcar is also weighing investments in logistics and farmer support programs to raise standards. But she made clear operations will resume only when beans meet export-grade specifications.
“We’re in this together,” Fotso said. “If we raise the quality, everyone — farmers, processors, even the country — wins.”
The halt marks a rare public rebuke of Cameroon’s cocoa sector by one of its most powerful insiders, underscoring both Telcar’s influence and the growing urgency of climate-related agricultural challenges.
