Credit: REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon JOHANNESBURG, Nov 11 (Reuters) – Ghana’s cocoa regulator will this week finalise a $600 million loan to finance new warehouses, rehabilitate plantations and support the processing sector, officials said on Monday.
Under the deal, the world’s No.2 cocoa producer Ghana sought $250 million from development finance institutions led by the African Development Bank (AfDB) AFDB.UL, while Credit Suisse Group AG CSGN.S was charged with lining up $350 million from commercial lenders.
"Cocobod has reached financial close. They will be tidying that up tomorrow. All the lawyers are going to be here tomorrow," AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina told Reuters on the sidelines of its Africa Investment Forum in Johannesburg.
An official for the regulator, known as Cocobod, confirmed they planned to close the deal at the conference on Tuesday.
The rehabilitation programme will carry out the replacement of ageing cocoa trees and the destruction of plantations infected with swollen shoot disease. Other financing will help Cocobod offer short-term working capital support to local cocoa-processing companies.
Increased warehouse capacity will allow Ghana to store its cocoa beans longer without deterioration in quality.
Ghana and its neighbour Ivory Coast – the world’s top producer – have stepped up cooperation in the sector in recent years, aiming to exert greater influence over global cocoa prices LCCc2.
Ivory Coast has also voiced interest in seeking financial backing for reforms from the AfDB, whose board last month agreed to increase the Abidjan-based lender’s capital by 125% to $208 billion.
"With our capital increase at the bank, we have a lot more capital to support with. And we will be supporting (Ivory Coast) just the same way we’ve supported Ghana," Adesina said.
African Development Bank approves record capital boost of 125% to $208 bln
(Reporting by Joe Bavier; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)(( joe.bavier@thomsonreuters.com ; +27 664877766; Reuters Messaging: joe.bavier.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net ))The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.