Visionary Reports

The PICS project under UNIDO has donated some specialised digital laboratory equipment to the National Cocoa and Coffee board ( NCCB). The event that took place in Douala on Friday May 22 is aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of Cameroon’s cocoa and coffee on international markets. Some of the equipment included Programmable coffee roaster, Computer laptop software, Programmable Coffee grinder, Professional roast/particle, Coffee/Cocoa beans sample tray, Didactic Table/ chairs, Tefal coffee filter machine just to name a few. The gesture was part of the Promoting International Competitiveness and Sustainability of Cameroonian Products through Advancing Technologies (PICS) led by UNIDO and financed by the government of Japan was aimed at promoting competitiveness of Cameroonian Cocoa and Coffee products on the International market.While receiving the equipment, the general manager of the NCCB Michael Ndoping explained that the new tools will allow scientific teams to carry out advanced analyses focused on key quality indicators, including the aromatic characteristics of coffee beans. He mentioned that the equipment will help determine differences between coffee produced even in very close geographical areas showing that quality varies not only by variety, but also by origin.“This is a fantastic opportunity for us,” the general manager said, emphasizing that the equipment will place the laboratory at the forefront of efforts to improve quality for multiple markets.

The handing of the equipment preceded a training component designed to ensure that laboratory staff can apply a formal quality approach consistent with recognized standards, including ISO requirements.According to the national coordinator of the PICS project Francis Nzukou, the motivation for supplying the equipment came after an earlier phase in which the project structure and objectives were presented in detail. The project, he noted, seeks to enhance the competitiveness of Cameroon’s cocoa and coffee in international markets. In that context, “when we talk about competitiveness, we first talk about quality,” he said.He further elaborated that the project also included training of laboratory personnel prior to the arrival of the equipment. The training aimed to set up and strengthen quality practices in laboratories according to the ISO framework. Following that capacity-building phase, the equipment was provided to help laboratories implement what they had learned.PICS national coordinator also emphasized that the equipment delivery also reflects the expressed needs of the partner institutions. Based on analysis of sector challenges particularly in Cameroon’s cocoa environment, he stated that the purchased equipment is highly relevant and will support day-to-day lab work.The general manager of the NCCB said the equipment will be handled responsibly and that it will contribute to meeting quality expectations demanded by external markets.It is worth noting that in Cameroon, quality assurance for coffee and cocoa falls under the mandate of the state-designated institution the NCCB.

By Gina ESONG