Cameroon's banana exports have started 2026 strong, with a 36% increase in January. According to the Banana Association of Cameroon (Assobacam), the country exported 27,674 tons of bananas during this month, an increase of 7,324 tons compared to January 2025.
This remarkable performance is largely attributable to Compagnie Fruitière, which dominates the sector through its two local subsidiaries: Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP) and Compagnie des Bananes de Mondoni (CDBM). PHP, the leader in the Cameroonian market, saw its exports jump by 36.4%, reaching 20,037 tons in January 2026. CDBM more than doubled its international sales, with an increase of 104.7% and 3,406 tons exported.
The Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), a public company and the only national operator in the sector, shows a more modest increase of 6%, with 4,231 tons exported. In September 2025, Boh Plantations PLC, formerly a player in the sector, ceded its assets to Compagnie Fruitière, further strengthening the dominant position of this French group.
Compagnie Fruitière de Marseille, through its subsidiaries PHP and CDBM, now controls a significant share of Cameroon's banana exports, estimated at between 70% and 80%. This proportion could even exceed 90% in 2026, following the acquisition of Boh Plantations PLC's assets. Banana exports make a significant contribution to Cameroon's export earnings, mainly to the European market.
Despite this export growth, banana prices have increased in local Cameroonian markets. In 2024, Cameroon was the 18th largest exporter of bananas in the world, with $177 million in exports, mainly to France, Germany and Spain.
