Cocoa Bean Monthly Update (Cameroon) 2026-02

Cameroon won the gold medal at the 10th Cacao of Excellence Awards held on 20 February 2026 in Amsterdam, highlighting its rising prominence in the premium 'fine and flavour' cocoa segment. The winning sample, produced by the SCCAPCC cooperative in Kye-Osi, was recognized for its complex aromas and refined taste, reflecting advanced post-harvest practices and traceability. This achievement follows a bronze award in 2023 and underscores the country's growing competitiveness in quality-focused international cocoa markets. The award aligns with increasing global demand for sustainably produced, origin-differentiated cocoa, offering Cameroon strategic opportunities to enhance cooperative structures, technical training, and export value. Industry experts see this recognition as a catalyst for Cameroon to strengthen its position in high-margin cocoa segments amid shifting market preferences.

On February 18, export prices for cocoa and robusta coffee in Cameroon converged at the port of Douala, with both commodities trading between CFA1,760 and CFA1,817 per kilogram. This price alignment extends to farmgate levels, where cocoa prices have dropped below CFA2,000 per kilogram in producing areas, a sharp decline from peaks of CFA6,000 in the 2023–2024 season. The downturn contrasts with government forecasts of CFA3,200 to CFA5,400 for the 2025–2026 season and is attributed to a projected global cocoa surplus expected to persist throughout the current marketing year. The surplus is partly driven by Ecuador’s production growth, which may surpass Ghana as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, exerting downward pressure on prices internationally and in Cameroon.

Agricultural export prices in CEMAC countries fell sharply by 14.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025, driven primarily by a 21.3% drop in cocoa prices, along with declines in sugar (-10.7%), rubber (-6%), and cotton (-4.3%). This downturn exacerbates risks to export revenues and foreign currency liquidity for the region's economies. The decline in agricultural commodity prices coincided with a 6.4% fall in energy product prices, including crude oil and natural gas, further pressuring export income. The overall Composite Commodity Price Index for CEMAC exports decreased 9.5% in Q4 2025, reflecting ongoing global macroeconomic uncertainties and supply-demand adjustments across key markets.

Cocoa export prices at the port of Douala rose sharply to 2,109 CFA francs per kilogram on February 10, 2026, up 300 CFA francs from five days earlier. Despite this increase, farm-gate prices paid to farmers remain between 1,800 and 1,900 CFA francs per kilogram, well below government forecasts of 3,200 to 5,400 CFA francs. The cocoa sector's growing profitability has elevated its status as Cameroon’s leading export earner, surpassing hydrocarbons in the first quarter of 2025 with revenues of 500.3 billion CFA francs, representing 44.8% of total export earnings.

Cocoa bean export prices at the port of Douala fell to between CFA1,800 and CFA1,950 per kilogram as of yesterday, marking a decline of CFA200 to CFA300 compared to two weeks earlier. This drop pushed prices below the CFA2,000 threshold despite the onset of the dry season in December 2025, a period when growers typically expect higher farmgate prices due to reduced logistics discounts. Current export prices are significantly below government projections for the 2025–2026 cocoa season, which forecast producer prices between CFA3,200 and CFA5,400 per kilogram. Cocoa has become Cameroon’s leading export revenue source, surpassing hydrocarbons in the first quarter of 2025 by generating CFA500.3 billion, or 44.8% of total export receipts.

Cameroon's National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC) is intensifying measures to curb illegal cocoa exports to Nigeria, which resulted in losses of CFA41.4 billion in 2024. Following significant losses of about CFA70 billion during the 2022–2023 season, the government implemented a ban on cocoa exports to Nigeria and introduced a stricter marketing system to improve traceability and reduce undeclared outflows. Despite these efforts, illicit exports persist, although Nigeria has become the leading African importer of Cameroonian cocoa in the 2024–2025 season with 2,100 tons purchased through formal channels. The ONCC is also accelerating the deployment of the National Unified Cocoa Traceability System to comply with international standards, including the EU's deforestation regulation, and to secure cross-border trade volumes.

In the second quarter of 2025, maritime exports from Cameroon's ports of Douala and Kribi were highly concentrated, with eleven countries accounting for 84% of total export value. Cocoa products dominated exports, with cocoa beans leading at 35% of total value and showing a 132% year-on-year increase. The Netherlands remained the top destination, driven by a surge in cocoa bean exports, while the United States rose to third place, fueled by processed cocoa products. Conversely, Bangladesh experienced a 24% decline in export value, reducing its share significantly. Other key products included sawn timber and cotton, highlighting agriculture's growing role in Cameroon’s export economy amid a shift away from hydrocarbons.

A study reveals that 87% of women cocoa producers in Cameroon face land tenure insecurity, with only 13% holding formal land titles, posing a significant risk to compliance with the EU Regulation on Deforestation and Forest Degradation (RDUE). Additionally, 68% of these women are unaware of the RDUE’s requirements, which include legal land ownership, traceability, and risk management, potentially excluding many smallholder farms from the European market. Women, especially indigenous groups like the Baka, remain marginalized in income control and decision-making despite their central role in cocoa production. Stakeholders emphasize the need for improved producer support, rural communication, and sustainable practices to leverage the RDUE as a tool for sector modernization and market strengthening rather than exclusion. Coordinated action and government involvement in land reforms are critical to ensuring Cameroon’s cocoa sector meets EU standards while promoting social and environmental sustainability.

Cameroon has lost approximately 782,797 hectares of forest between 2020 and 2024, equivalent to 4.2% of its total forest cover, with significant deforestation occurring in cocoa-producing areas. Agriculture, particularly cocoa expansion alongside oil palm, rubber, coffee, and cotton cultivation, is a key driver of land conversion, compounded by logging activities that degrade forests before farmers establish plantations. Field studies in the Ntui area reveal that cocoa plantation expansion alone caused around 4,600 hectares of forest loss over ten years. In response, Cameroon adopted a deforestation-free cocoa roadmap in January 2021 and has initiated mapping and traceability efforts supported by international sustainability programs to address these challenges and meet European Union market requirements.

A study by the Center for Environment and Development (CED) and NGO Fern reveals that women are the main workforce in Cameroon's cocoa sector, especially those aged 25 to 45, yet they face significant exclusion from land ownership, cooperative leadership, and income control. Despite performing most production tasks, women typically receive only 20% to 30% of cocoa income, mainly for household expenses, while men dominate investment and decision-making roles. The report highlights severe land tenure insecurity, with 87% of women lacking secure land rights, often relying on vulnerable customary arrangements. Indigenous women, particularly the Baka, experience compounded marginalization with limited income control and higher exposure to discrimination. Awareness of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) remains low among women producers, posing risks of increased vulnerability under new market compliance rules. The study recommends securing women’s land rights, enhancing access to training and information, supporting female-led agricultural entrepreneurship, and boosting women’s representation in decision-making bodies.