Metrics details An increase in spillover events of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses to mammals suggests selection of viruses that transmit well in mammals Here we use air-sampling devices to continuously sample infectious influenza viruses expelled by experimentally infected ferrets The resulting quantitative virus shedding kinetics data resembled ferret-to-ferret transmission studies and indicated that the absence of transmission observed for earlier A(H5N1) viruses was due to a lack of infectious virus shedding in the air rather than the absence of necessary mammalian adaptation mutations Whereas infectious human A(H1N1pdm) virus was efficiently shed in the air infectious 2005 zoonotic and 2024 bovine A(H5N1) viruses were not detected in the air shedding of infectious virus was observed for 1 out of 4 ferrets infected with a 2022 European polecat A(H5N1) virus and a 2024 A(H5N1) virus isolated from a dairy farm worker To assess the public health risk of emerging A(H5N1) influenza viruses studies commonly use ferret transmission set-ups that only allow transmission via the air from donor to recipient animals Although this experimental set-up provides important knowledge on the transmission potential no information on virus shedding kinetics in the air is obtained longstanding questions remain about whether avian influenza viruses fail to transmit between mammals owing to the lack of infectious virus shedding in the air or the absence of necessary mammalian adaptation markers required to start an infection in a new host Infectious virus particles per air sample: A(H1N1pdm) (a) Infectious virus titres in ferret nose swabs: A(H1N1pdm) (g) Each differently coloured bar represents a single ferret (four ferrets per virus) The dotted horizontal lines represent the detection limit The symbols above bars indicate the day of peak virus shedding in the air for A(H5N1)-inoculated animals *This animal was euthanized at 72 hpi because of reaching predetermined humane endpoints; thus no nose swabs were collected after the 72 hpi timepoint Source data These observations raise concerns regarding the evolution of an A(H5N1) towards mammalian we next tested influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b viruses collected from mammals during the recent global epizootic Additional studies should investigate if the potentially higher replication due to these PB2 substitutions is enough to allow low levels of transmission via the air despite the preferential binding to avian-type receptors and acid instability of HA Our results indicate that recent A(H5N1) viruses exhibit a low but increased level of infectious virus shedding into the air as compared with older A(H5N1) viruses Given the ongoing epizootic in cattle and the high risk of exposure for farm and dairy workers and domestic and wild mammals to infected cows and contaminated milk it is crucial for effective outbreak control and public health safety to understand how this virus spreads among cattle its potential for mammalian adaptation and its capacity for airborne transmission Animals were housed and experiments were performed in strict compliance with the Dutch legislation for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (2014 Twenty-four influenza virus and Aleutian disease virus-seronegative 1–2-year-old female ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) were obtained from a commercial breeder (TripleF) The studies were performed under a project licence from the Dutch competent authority Centrale Commissie Dierproeven (licence number CCD101002115685) and the study protocols were approved by the institutional Animal Welfare Body (Erasmus MC permit number 2400041) Animal welfare was monitored on a daily basis Experiments with A(H1N1pdm) were performed under animal biosafety level 3 (ABSL 3) conditions and A(H5N1bovine) were performed under enhanced ABSL 3+ conditions The ABSL3+ facility of Erasmus MC consists of a negative pressurized (30 Pa) laboratory in which all in vivo and in vitro experimental work is carried out in class 3 isolators or class 3 biosafety cabinets which are also negative pressurized (≤200 Pa) Although the laboratory is considered ‘clean’ because all experiments are conducted in closed class 3 cabinets and isolators Air released from the class 3 units is filtered by high-efficiency particulate air filters and leaves the facility via a second set of high-efficiency particulate air filters Only authorized personnel that received the appropriate training can access the ABSL3+ facility All personnel working in the facility is vaccinated against seasonal influenza viruses The facility is secured by procedures recognized as appropriate by the institutional biosafety officers and facility management at Erasmus MC Antiviral drugs (oseltamivir and zanamivir) and personnel isolation facilities are directly available to further mitigate risks upon incidents Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells (ATCC-CRL-2935) as well as humanized MDCK cells (hCK)21 were cultured at 37 °C 5% CO2 in Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) Eagle with Earle’s balanced salt solution (Capricorn Scientific) supplemented with 10% foetal bovine serum (Sigma-Aldrich) 100 lU ml−1 penicillin (PEN; Capricorn Scientific) 100 µg ml−1 streptomycin (STR; Capricorn Scientific) 1× MEM non-essential amino acids (NEAA; Capricorn Scientific) 2 mM l-glutamine (l-glu; Capricorn Scientific) and 1.5 mg ml−1 sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3; Gibco) hCK cells were cultured with 2 µg ml−1 puromycin (InvivoGen) and 10 µg ml−1 blasticidin (InvivoGen) 293T cells (ATCC-CRL-3216) were cultured in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle medium high glucose (4.5 g l−1) (Capricorn Scientific) supplemented with 10% foetal bovine serum Influenza virus isolate A/Bovine/Ohio/B24OSU-439/2024 (A(H5N1bovine) EPI3352841-EPI3352848) was passaged once in embryonated eggs and MDCK cells Four ferrets per group were inoculated intranasally with 106 50% tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) of virus diluted in 500 µl phosphate-buffered saline A total of 250 µl of virus was instilled dropwise in each ferret nostril Inoculations were done under anaesthesia with a mixture of ketamine and medetomidine (10 mg kg−1 and 0.05 mg kg−1 respectively) antagonized by atipamezole (0.25 mg kg−1) Ferret throat and nose swabs were collected daily under light anaesthesia using ketamine to minimize animal suffering Copan) were stored at −80 °C in virus transport medium consisting of MEM with Hanks’ BSS (Gibco) containing 0.5% lactalbumin hydrolysate (Sigma-Aldrich) 5 MU nystatin (Sigma-Aldrich) and 250 mg ml−1 gentamicin (Gibco) 60 µl of each throat or nose swab were taken and mixed with 90 µl of MagNA Pure 96 External Lysis Buffer (Roche Diagnostics) for RNA isolation This separation was necessary because the BioSpot generated excessive heat which led to an increased ambient temperature within the isolator Air sampling was conducted over a 96 h period with continuous sampling and collection of samples every 12 h The average temperature and relative humidity in the isolators with the ferret cages were 22 °C and 51% Air samples were collected in a Petri dish (Falcon 35 mm) containing 2 ml of virus transport medium The samples were stored at 4 °C until end-point titration performed directly the following day to prevent freeze–thaw cycles as well as 4 µl of TaqMan Fast Virus 1-step master mix (ThermoFisher Scientific) and 6.2 µl of PCR-grade water The cut-off threshold was set manually after examination of the background signals and the negative control Samples with a cycle threshold (Ct) of 40 and above were considered negative The following primers and probes were used: influenza A virus: 5′-CTTCTRACCGAGGTCGAAACGTA-3′ (forward) probe 1 5′-FAM(6-carboxyfluorescein)-TCAGGCCCCCTCAAAGCCGAGA-BHQ(black hole quencher)-3′ probe 2 5′-FAM-TCAGGCCCCCTCAAAGCCGAAA-BHQ-3′; phocine distemper virus: 5′-CGGGTGCCTTTTACAAGAAC-3′ (forward) probe 5′-Cy5-ATGCAAGGGCCAATT-MGB(minor groove binder)-Eclipse-3′ The amplification and detection were performed on an ABI7700 (Thermo Fisher Scientific) with the following cycler parameters: 5 min 50 °C using the FLU-minion module with the following configuration changes: ‘SKIP_E = 0’ Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article Source data are provided with this paper Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus outbreak in New England Seals Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus infections in pinnipeds and seabirds in Uruguay: implications for bird–mammal transmission in South America Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection in farmed minks Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection on multiple fur farms in the South and Central Ostrobothnia regions of Finland Pathogenesis and transmission of swine-origin 2009 A(H1N1) influenza virus in ferrets Characterising viable virus from air exhaled by H1N1 influenza-infected ferrets reveals the importance of haemagglutinin stability for airborne infectivity Eurasian-origin gene segments contribute to the transmissibility and morphology of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus Defining the sizes of airborne particles that mediate influenza transmission in ferrets and natural selection of mutations driving airborne transmission of A/H5N1 virus Kinetics and magnitude of viral RNA shedding as indicators for influenza A virus transmissibility in ferrets Risk assessment of a highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus from mink Pulit-Penaloza, J. A. et al. Transmission of a human isolate of clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5N1) virus in ferrets. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08246-7 (2024) High number of HPAI H5 virus infections and antibodies in wild carnivores in the Netherlands PB2 residue 271 plays a key role in enhanced polymerase activity of influenza A viruses in mammalian host cells Key molecular factors in hemagglutinin and PB2 contribute to efficient transmission of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza virus Gu, C. et al. A human isolate of bovine H5N1 is transmissible and lethal in animal models. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08254-7 (2024) Eisfeld, A. J. et al. Pathogenicity and transmissibility of bovine H5N1 influenza virus. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07766-6 (2024) Influenza A viruses are transmitted via the air from the nasal respiratory epithelium of ferrets A humanized MDCK cell line for the efficient isolation and propagation of human influenza viruses Efficient generation and growth of influenza virus A/PR/8/34 from eight cDNA fragments Positive-hole correction of multiple-jet impactors for collecting viable microorganisms The method of right and wrong cases (constant stimuli) without Gauss’s formulae Beitrag zur kollektiven Behandlung pharmakologischer Reihenversuche SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted via contact and via the air between ferrets Incidence of viral respiratory pathogens causing exacerbations in adult cystic fibrosis patients Development and implementation of real‐time nucleic acid amplification for the detection of enterovirus infections in comparison to rapid culture of various clinical specimens Viral deep sequencing needs an adaptive approach: IRMA Introduction of virulence markers in PB2 of pandemic swine-origin influenza virus does not result in enhanced virulence or transmission Download references This work was funded through a Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO) VICI grant (contract number 09150182110054 Horizon-CL6 Programme (grant number 101084171 KAPPA-FLU R.A.M.F and S.H.) and the EU4Health Programme (grant number 101102733 DURABLE USA) for sharing influenza virus isolate A/bovine/Ohio/B24OSU-439/2024 analysed the data and wrote the initial draft of the paper conducted animal and air-sampling experiments and processed and analysed air samples and ferret swabs produced reverse genetics plasmids for the generation of recombinant viruses generated recombinant viruses and sequenced the viruses used in the experiments data interpretation and revision of the paper All authors read and approved the final paper The authors declare no competing interests Nature Microbiology thanks the anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations the BioSpot-VIVASTM Series 315 bioaerosol sampler (Aerosol Devices USA) was directly connected to a ferret cage holding an individually housed ferret The BioSpot was operated with a flowrate of 15 L min-1 under the following conditions: conditioner: 5 °C; initiator: 45 °C; moderator: 18 °C; nozzle: 27 °C; sample holder: between 13-16 °C No extra airflow was supplied to the ferret cage in addition to the 15L min-1 applied by the BioSpot sampler With a cage volume of 45 L (30 ×30 x 50 cm) and a flow rate of 900L h-1 (60 x 15L min-1) this results in 20 (900L h-1 / 45 L) air changes per hour The ferret cage and BioSpot were housed in separate Each differently colored bar represents an individual ferret (four ferrets per virus) *This animal was euthanized at 72 hpi because of reaching predetermined humane endpoints thus no air-samples were collected after the 72 hpi timepoint Source data A) A(H1N1pdm), B) A(H5N1Indo/WT), C) A(H5N1Indo/AT), D) A(H5N1polecat), E) A(H5N1Texas), F) A(H5N1bovine). Each symbol represents an individual ferret (four ferrets per virus) using the same colors as in Fig. 1 *This animal was euthanized at 72 hpi because of predetermined humane endpoints Source data Four biological replicates were performed and are derived from individual ferrets each point in the box plots represents an individual ferret The box plots contain the 5th to 95th percentile the whiskers mark the minimum and the maximum and the black line in the middle marks the mean of the dataset Statistical significance was assessed using a two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparison test *p = 0.02; **p = 0.004; ***p = 0.0005; ****p = 0.00002 Source data Each differently colored bar represents a single ferret (four ferrets per virus) Dotted horizontal lines represent the detection limit thus no throat swabs were collected after the 72 hpi timepoint Source data Correlation between number of infectious virus in air-sample and infectious virus titer in A) nose swabs (R2 = 0,1256) Correlation between amount of viral RNA in air-sample and viral RNA in C) nose swabs (R2 = 0.3789) Each symbol represents one of the six viruses tested Each differently colored symbol represents a time point post inoculation in hours (hpi) The statistical analysis performed is simple linear regression Source data Raw data air-sample quantification and ferret nose swabs titrations TaqMan data of air samples per virus (40-Ct) Raw data air-sample number of infectious virus particles per sample and ferret nose or throat swab titrations TaqMan data for air samples and nose or throat swabs (40-Ct) Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-024-01885-6 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science Jesse and Robyn Van Kekem of Vanderosa Farms New Zealanders often hear about farmers being the backbone of the country but do we really know what makes the primary industries tick With that in mind, The Country’s Kem Ormond has compiled a list of questions for everyday Kiwis in agriculture This week it’s the turn of Jesse and Robyn Van Kekem of Vanderosa Farms With 150 acres,100 sheep and 50-60 steers that need to be looked after the Van Kekems also have a busy events centre to run Sometimes it is the view that captures you and in the case of Vanderosa Farms with breathtaking panoramic views overlooking Pakiri Beach you could almost feel like you are on top of the world If you would like to be part of The Country Fast Five series you can get in touch with Kem at kem.ormond@nzme.co.nz Or you can fill in the form here Read on to find out more about Jesse Van Kekem One is a calf-rearing shed that was recently changed to a docking shed It’s so exciting to reuse a shed that cost a bit to build and re-purpose it Another shed is part workshop and part onsite manager’s site office bar stools and a fridge with cold beverages in it This shed is the perfect place to end the day and sip a bit of our favourite local Matakana Estate Merlot and watch the sun go down over the ridge We were really first drawn to this piece of land the sea for fishing and the land for growing animals and trees We have planted thousands of natives on the farm and grow local seeds to propagate our own natives and it really gets us excited to watch them try and survive on this windy rough ridge we call home We have a lot of friends who are passionate about doing the same thing and we all do it together which is great Slowly the paddock is turning into a haven for native birds and flowering flora We live in a beautiful country that we feel very blessed to be part of The land we own is going to be part of our legacy and we are enjoying the challenge of building and growing new things It is a quiet fishing village surrounded by rolling hills that grow grass We were attracted to the vista and the opportunity to connect with the land and the sea but most importantly a community of beautiful people who love the same thing What would you like non-farmers to know about your role/industry death is part of the cycle of life on a farm Another point is that sometimes animals escape from their paddock and that’s just part of the rural lifestyle Sometimes you have to put someone else’s livestock back in their paddock or let them know there’s an animal out I love to open the curtains to see what the weather is doing I get a vibe for the day when I see the weather and then make a plan It normally involves swimming after kids drop off with our local Leigh Ocean swimmers club A coffee with the “pod” after the swim at our local cafe Leigh Eats is mandatory of course I would then head back to the farm and check on our animals Our property was just a paddock seven years ago and now that it is maturing the growth on all the trees we have planted and people coming to our venue and using it to create a special day It’s an honour to watch our property grow and change and now being able to share it with others and their celebrations is really exciting Ballance Agri-Nutrients worker says there a lot of anxiety over potential loss of jobs Post Courier A LOCAL company has taken the initiative to build a 10-kilometre road from Aperas to Kekem village in Kompiam district built the road to give people access to services that they have missed for decades Former Kompiam Ambum MP and Element Resource managing director Tom Amaiu engaged his company to build the road to bail out the people Mr Amaiu said the purpose of constructing the road was to help roll out the Kekem Gold project in Kompiam He said this project would benefit people from the three separate Local Level Government Council including Kompiam These people are living at the back of Kompiam and are cut off from the government services because their neighbours are allegedly using high powered weapons to fight and cause unnecessary roadblocks more than 100 armed men held up a truck with a four-door land cruiser and removed all the properties and store goods worth K11,000 Mr Amaiu bought the foods for the people of Kekem village but armed men held up the vehicles and got all the food He condemned such actions and said it was time for the tribal leaders to address this issue because they are the ones assisting the youths to buy high powered weapons and ammunitions for them to fight Mr Amaiu said his company is engaged to help them build the road “We have spent almost K5 million to construct the 10 kilometre road from Aperas to Tekem village because they need the service,” he said “We heard that the gold was there but we did not mine yet despite us being specialised in alluvial mining but we are taking the lead in building the road first.” Mr Amaiu went there on Monday to make a formal announcement to the people that his company took the initiative to build the road Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox The Country looks back at some of the biggest and best stories of the past 12 months news events and those yarns that gave us a glimpse into rural lives and livelihoods across the country If you would like to be part of The Country Fast Five series you can get in touch with Kem at kem.ormond@nzme.co.nz SCB Cameroon (the local subsidiary of the Moroccan banking group Attijariwafa Bank) published a tender notice on its website for the recruitment of an expert in plant assembly the expert will dismantle the plant of an agro-industrial unit in Kekem Reading this rather special service offer (for which bids are expected until November 27 observers of the Cameroonian economic scene quickly understood that the plant in question belongs to Neo Industry whose annual cocoa processing capacity is estimated at 32,000 tons (according to the National cocoa and coffee board the company processed only 4,286 tons of cocoa during the 2019-2020 campaign) Neo Industry received a XAF13 billion loan (which was guaranteed at XAF6 billion by the African Guaranty Fund-AGF) from SCB Cameroon to build its Kekem assembly plant  From internal sources within SCB Cameroon the bank plans to dismantle the plant because Neo Industry is having difficulties honoring its commitments towards the bank one should wonder why a bank can decide to dismantle a factory for which it granted a 7-year loan after just two years clauses are inserted to allow the bank to resort to forced recovery before term as soon as it is discovered that some of the information provided during the loan process was not honest or when certain practices of the credit beneficiary are likely to complicate the repayment," a business analyst explains Beyond what could be called "the SCB Cameroon-Neo Industry case" a source close to the case believes that what prompted that decision is the volume of credits owed by Emmanuel Neossi (promoter of Neo Industry) to the local banking sector the CEO of Neo Industry borrowed tens of billions of XAF from the local banking sector Nearly 80% of that debt portfolio is owed to SCB Cameroon Due to the difficulties encountered by Emmanuel Neossi in honoring his commitments towards the banks COBAC (regulator of CEMAC countries’ banking sector) instructed the credit institutions concerned to take the required steps to protect the savings of their clients A first bank affected by the payment defaults of Emmanuel Neossi is said to have set aside about XAF5 billion for that purpose SCB Cameroon chose the forced recovery option due to the high volume of funds it will set aside to meet the order of COBAC it can transfer it to a new operator or outright sale could allow it to recover the various loans it granted to the promoter of Neo Industry "Although the promoter of this factory is insolvent as we learn the real question that must be asked is how a bank could take so much risk on a single client like the one concerned in this case with Mr banks must first carry out due-diligence missions before deciding whether or not to grant credit Banks must also monitor the activities of their clients to ensure that everything is working in such a way as to guarantee the repayment of the credit received," an expert from the financial community suggests Kribi Bitumen Plant Set to Start Construction in 2025 with Government Backing CEMAC Bond Market Hits CFA 8.45 Trillion in March 2025, Interest Rates Drop Cameroon’s Timber Output Projected to Rise in 2025 Despite Higher Export Taxes Central Africa Stock Exchange Sees 98% Drop in Trading Value in Q1 2025 Every week the economy and investment news from Cameroon Mboa Paris Trains 30 Young Cameroonians to Boost Tech and Entrepreneurship Cameroon Audit Targets Former Officials for Mismanagement in Agricultural Project Camwater Seeks Global Bids to Launch Bottled Water Lines in Five Cities Bafoussam Workshop Highlights Benefits of Cameroon-EU Trade Agreement Cameroon Could Reach 350,100 Tons of Cotton in 2025 (Beac) Paul Biya Appoints Johnny Razack as Chair of Cameroon’s National Investment Company Cameroon Refuses Work Visa Renewal for Casino and Super U Boss Over Toxic Workplace Claims Cameroon Joins Global Charter to Fight Illegal Fishing Cameroon’s first cocoa processing factory -Neo Industry - was inaugurated in Kekem somewhere between the country’s western and coastal regions The plant which can process 32,000t of the beans per year is owned by Emmanuel Neossi a Cameroonian entrepreneur who spent many years in the cocoa trading sector Neossi became the main rival of Sis Cacaos one of the world’s largest cocoa processors and chocolate manufacturers Just after launching the cocoa processing plant he started another gigantic project in Douala on the site where the old Congo market was aims to erect a state-of-the-art mall with 3,350 stores; This Abdeladim ARNOUS, The ambitious Moroccan cement-manufacturer Abdullahi BABA, The man behind the success of Dangote Cement in Cameroon Adolphe MOUDIKI, He who commands Cameroon’s state-owned oil company Adrien BECHONNET, The French face in the downstream oil sector Adrien BROCHE, The concessionaire of oil and gas fields Alain DUFOURNIER, The experienced manager steering the wheels of Tractafric Alain MALONG, The industrialist plunged in the dark Alain Noël Olivier MEKULU MVONDO, The austere pension fund manager Alamine Ousmane MEY, The economic planner Albert KOUINCHE, The domestic money transfer expert the newly built cocoa processing unit in the town of Kekem is officially going to be open on April 26 this unit will increase the national production of cocoa butter and powder The project received XAF13 billion from Société commerciale de banque (SCB Cameroun) a local subsidiary of Moroccan Attijariwafa Bank and fund was guaranteed up to XAF6 billion by AfDB’s African Guarantee Fund (AGF) In addition to the tax and customs incentives offered by the Cameroonian State from direct public financing of XAF1.2 billion presented as the world’s top equipment manufacturer for chocolate industry Neo Industry is expected to create about 750 indirect jobs It is in line with the ambitions of public authorities and sector players who are working to increase local processing The objective is to locally process 50% of production by 2020 While the national cocoa production was around 200,000 tons over the past five seasons Cameroon only processed about 25% of volumes exposing the sector to variations on international market a company specialising in alluvial mining constructed the road from Arepes to Kekem village in Kompiam district The local companies have taken the initiative to construct a 10km road for the people of Kompiam in Enga Province Company managing director and former Kompiam/Ambum MP Tom Amaiu said he engaged his company to construct the road because the people need the road See more in today’s Wednesday Post Courier paper "(Business in Cameroon) - We were the ones who conducted the negotiations for the purchase of this plant from equipment supplier Bühler We stopped working on this project at the fund-raising stages I can therefore tell you that the Kekem plant is economically viable and I challenge anyone to prove otherwise It is even a great  project our country is proud of.” These are the words of Patrice Yantho an investment consultant who (through his firm JMJ Africa) ensured the technical structuring of Neo Industry the cocoa bean processing unit banker SCB Cameroon is trying to dismantle for loan-defaulting issues the CEO of JMJ Africa (who also led the entire process that led to the construction of Atlantic Cocoa’s processing plant in the industrial zone of the deep seaport of Kribi) is surprised by the eagerness shown by SCB Cameroon in its bid to dismantle a production unit that has been operating for barely 2 years During the first two to three years (known as the "valley of death," due to the high company mortality rate) Neo Industry has just passed the 1-year milestone and understandably Each of those challenges is an opportunity for the company to improve its balance sheet and performance,” he argued He thus invites the various parties to negotiate to save this "flagship of national industry which contributes significantly to the  balance of trade and significantly contributes to the promotion of the ‘made in Cameroon’ and the inclusion of our country in the global economy.” Neo Industry’s plant is currently in the exploitation phase so debt service can only be honored thanks to its operation and management crucial to negotiate while focusing on production which is the main source of the funds to be used to repay loans The negotiations should also find better repayment options for the company not for the project that has already been implemented,” he added SCB Cameroon published a tender notice on its website for the recruitment of a plant assembly expert The expert was to dismantle a processing plant in Kekem The banking institution did not name the company whose plant would be dismantled but observers of the Cameroonian economic scene quickly deduced that the plant concerned belongs to Neo Industry (a cocoa processor with an official annual capacity estimated at 32,000 tons) that was funded by SCB Cameroon to the tune of XAF13 billion apart from the XAF13 billion loan for Kekem plant the promoter of Neo Industry owes several dozen billions of CFA francs to SCB Cameroon the promoter is experiencing enormous difficulties in repaying its loans while COBAC (regulator of the banking sector within CEMAC) is requiring the bank to make provisions for those loans this the main reason SCB Cameroon decided to proceed to forced recovery This is the amount of the investment that Producam will make in the town of Kékem which will be built thanks to the expertise of the Swiss company Buhler With an estimated processing capacity of 30,000 tons of cocoa beans a year the Kékem factory aims to produce 12,000 tons of cocoa butter and 6,000 tons of cocoa powder annually The project benefits from a Cameroonian government financial assistance of FCfa 1.3 billion as well as significant tax and customs exemptions who presided over the foundation stone laying ceremony of this factory the Kékem example will soon be duplicated in the town of Mbalmayo Cameroon which has produced on average 200,000 of cocoa over the past 5 years only processes around 25% of its production locally The recovery plan for the sector aims to raise this level to 50% by 2025 by which time the country proposes to produce 600,000 tons of beans