(Ecofin Agency) - KKO International, one of a few firms practicing intensive cocoa farming, wishes to purchase between 400 and 500 ha in Madagascar.

Explaining its choice, KKO International said in a statement that “Madagascar’s cocoa is of high-quality” adding that the country “due to its potential for significant returns represents a privileged zone for cocoa farming”.

Let’s highlight that the project falls under the group’s strategy to grow its business outside Cote d’Ivoire. KKO has indeed launched a procedure to buy an Ecuadorian firm, which is also specialized in intensive cocoa farming.

KKO International whose business-model is based on intensive cocoa production, with artisanal farming, develops innovative methods to boost its output. The firm which has an orchard that extends over 1,849 ha (of which 680 ha currently exploited) in Cote d’Ivoire, plans to increase this area to 3,000 ha, by 2017.

Aaron Akinocho