Cocoa is typically sold in a multi-stage process, moving from farmers to consumers through various intermediaries.
Here's a breakdown of the typical cocoa sales process:
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Farmers to Intermediaries: Cocoa farmers harvest the cocoa beans, ferment, and dry them. They then sell the dried beans in sacks to intermediaries. These intermediaries can be individuals or companies representing larger buyers.
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Intermediaries to Exporting Companies: The intermediary, acting on behalf of a buying company sourcing directly from farmers, then coordinates the beans' movement. Farmers often transport the bags of cocoa beans to an exporting company.
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Inspection and Grading: Exporting companies inspect and grade the cocoa beans based on quality standards. This ensures that the cocoa meets the required specifications for international markets.
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Warehousing and Export: After grading, the cocoa is sent to warehouses, often located near ports, to await shipment.
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Global Trade: The cocoa beans are then exported to chocolate manufacturers around the world.
In summary, cocoa sales involve a chain starting with farmers, moving to intermediaries, then exporting companies, and finally reaching global markets for processing into chocolate products.
