Global cocoa processing on the rise: Bühler and Appenzell at the center of a new wave

TECHNOLOGY company Bühler is experiencing a welcome countertrend to the otherwise tense situation in the industry, particularly at its production site in Appenzell.

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In view of rising global cocoa prices and the increasing focus on resilient supply chains, the cocoa industry is embarking on a remarkable new wave of investment. Governments and companies worldwide, especially in cocoa-producing countries, are increasingly relying on local cocoa processing to secure value creation in their countries, reduce transport costs, and strengthen local economic cycles. They are investing strategically - not only in capacity, but also in quality and yield. In this rapidly changing environment, Bühler has consolidated its reputation as a trusted partner for efficient, sustainable, and future-proof solutions in cocoa processing. A key advantage of Bühler is its strong presence in cocoa-growing regions, which means that the systems can be maintained on site by service specialists.

Overcoming challenges: adding value at the point of origin

Cocoa prices have been at record levels for around two years and are likely to remain high in the medium term. This is due to poor harvests caused by extreme weather conditions and disease outbreaks in key producing countries. Added to this is the structural constraint that cocoa trees only grow in certain climate zones and take up to five years to bear fruit. For these reasons, and in view of the price trend for cocoa, there is a significantly greater incentive to expand processing capacities in the countries where it is grown. Investors and cocoa processing companies are turning to Bühler not only for state-of-the-art process technology that ensures maximum yield of this expensive commodity with the highest efficiency. An equally important factor is that Bühler can support its customers locally with the best service and offers customized training and development opportunities for customer technicians at their plants.