Grade I Fermented Cocoa Beans
Our flagship export grade: plump, well-fermented, sun-dried Forastero cocoa beans from Nigeria's main crop, graded to Grade I limits for mould, slate and defects and certified by the Federal Produce Inspection Service before shipment.
Product Overview
Grade I is the quality that grinders, traders and chocolate manufacturers associate with well-handled West African cocoa. Our Grade I Fermented Cocoa Beans come from the main harvest in Nigeria's cocoa belt — Ondo, Cross River, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo and neighbouring states — where beans are fermented in wooden boxes or heaps for five to seven days and then dried slowly in the sun on raised mats until they reach export moisture.
At our warehouse every lot is sampled and cut-tested before it is accepted, and again before it is bagged for shipment. Beans that exceed the Grade I limits for mouldy, slaty, insect-damaged, germinated or flat beans are re-graded and sold as Grade II rather than blended in. This discipline is what allows us to put Grade I on the contract and have it confirmed by the Federal Produce Inspection Service and, where you require it, by your own appointed inspection company.
Where It Is Used
- Cocoa grinders and processors (liquor, butter, powder)
- Chocolate and confectionery manufacturers
- International cocoa trading houses
- Bean-to-bar and craft chocolate makers seeking West African Forastero
- Food ingredient importers and re-packers
Available Packaging
- New, clean jute bags (food-grade, hydrocarbon-free)
- Standard 62.5 kg / 64 kg net per bag
- Container lined with kraft paper and desiccant
- Bulk loading in flexi-liner on request
Pack sizes. Standard 62.5 kg or 64 kg net jute bags; approx. 200–250 bags per 20' container (confirm per order)
Key Facts
- Origin
- Nigeria — Forastero (Amazon / Amelonado hybrid)
- Bean profile
- Main-crop beans, typically ≤ 100 beans per 100 g
- Processing
- Fermented 5–7 days, sun-dried
- Order basis
- Full container loads (20' / 40')
- Port of loading
- Lagos (Apapa / Tin Can)
- Incoterms
- FOB · CFR · CIF · FCA
Specification Sheet — Grade I Cocoa Beans
Parameters confirmed per shipment by FPIS grading and cut test; laboratory analysis and independent inspection available on request.
| Parameter | Guaranteed value | Unit | Test method / basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moisture content (max) | [Insert lab-tested value] | % | ISO 2291 (oven method) / calibrated meter |
| Bean count | [Insert lab-tested value] | beans / 100 g | ISO 2451 count on representative sample |
| Mouldy beans (max) | [Insert lab-tested value] | % | Cut test – ISO 1114 |
| Slaty beans (max) | [Insert lab-tested value] | % | Cut test – ISO 1114 |
| Insect-damaged, germinated & flat beans (max) | [Insert lab-tested value] | % | Cut test – ISO 1114 |
| Well-fermented beans (min) | [Insert lab-tested value] | % | Cut test – ISO 1114 |
| Foreign matter & broken beans (max) | [Insert lab-tested value] | % | Visual / sieve on sample |
| Fat content (butter yield) | [Insert lab-tested value] | % | Laboratory analysis (on request) |
| Free fatty acid (max) | [Insert lab-tested value] | % | Laboratory analysis (on request) |
| Grade / quality certificate | [Insert lab-tested value] | — | Federal Produce Inspection Service (FPIS) grading |
Explore the Rest of the Range
Standard ExportGrade II Cocoa Beans
A dependable, competitively priced standard export grade: properly dried, sound Nigerian cocoa beans graded within Grade II limits — the practical choice for large-volume grinders and processors who price on butter yield and consistency.
View product
SeasonalLight Crop Cocoa Beans
Beans from Nigeria's mid-year light crop (roughly April to September): smaller in size and higher in bean count than main-crop beans, but properly fermented and dried — a cost-effective option for processors who can accommodate a higher count.
View product
Due DiligenceTraceable Single-Origin Cocoa Lots
Grade I beans supplied as identity-preserved lots from named producing areas — for example Ondo (Idanre, Ile-Oluji) or Cross River (Ikom, Etung) — with farmer lists and farm geolocation data to support buyers' deforestation due-diligence requirements.
View productRequest Pricing for Grade I Fermented Cocoa Beans
Tell us your tonnage, packing and destination port and we will send a detailed quotation with a sample plan.