Festicoffee 2019: Yaounde hosts National Coffee exhibition fair
The seventh edition of the National Coffee Exhibition Fair has begun in Yaounde.
Holding on the theme ” Act now for coffee”, Festicoffee 2019, was officially launched by the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana.
Over twenty exhibitors are taking part in the Yaounde exhibition. Festicoffee is taking place simultaneously in twenty-three other towns in Cameroon, with a total of 85 coffee exhibition stands on display.
The two-day-exhibition in Yaounde is being highlighted by the following activities;
# Day one:
“The National Coffee Tasting Day”, during which thousands of Cameroonians savor the rich flavors of “made in Cameroon” coffee.
#Day two: A “Coffee Forum” where stakeholders brainstorm on measures needed to step up coffee production and also increase consumption.
Festicoffee 2019: Production drops, consumption increases
According to statistics from the National Coffee and Cocoa Union, the annual coffee production has dropped to 30,000 tons. Paradoxically, the consumption has increased.
The Director General of the National Cocoa and Coffee Board, Michael Ndoping states;
“We must increase production and consumption at the same time. If we promote consumption without promoting production, we are in for trouble. We might have created a taste without the product. The two must go together otherwise , there will be a paradox if we start importing coffee into Cameroon”
A recent report on campaigns carried out however shows progress at the level of local production.
Festicoffee 2019 : Securing Cameroon’s coffee brand abroad
As government undertakes to develop the coffee sector, stakeholders affirm that securing the “made in Cameroon” coffee brand on the international market is also of utmost importance.
The first challenge is to combat the practice whereby coffee roasters abroad use coffee beans from Cameroon and other countries to make a coffee blend without indicating the origin of the beans.
A number of measures are taken to have coffee companies clearly spell out the content and origin of the coffee they transform.
Kathy Neba Sina