The Cameroonian cocoa sector is facing a severe crisis, marked by a drastic drop in prices and disastrous consequences for producers. In the South and Centre regions, the farmgate price of cocoa has plummeted, ranging between 800 and 1,000 FCFA per kilogram in 2026, compared to 6,000 FCFA just two years ago. This decline has plunged thousands of rural families into a critical financial situation, in some cases leading to suicides, according to industry stakeholders.
Cameroon, once considered the third largest African and fifth largest global cocoa producer, is seeing this pillar of its economy falter. In the first quarter of 2025, cocoa had even surpassed hydrocarbons as the main source of export revenue, representing 44.8% of total receipts, or 500.3 billion FCFA. However, the fall in international prices has led to a dizzying drop in farmgate prices, exacerbating the difficulties of producers.
Many producers, anticipating stable prices, had borrowed money to invest in their farms. Today, they find themselves unable to repay their debts, trapped by market realities. Faced with this situation, some producers prefer to suspend their sales, refusing to sell off their harvests, which leads to an accumulation of stocks in warehouses. Others are considering abandoning their cocoa farms to turn to food crops, a risky decision given the long-term value of cocoa and European regulations on deforestation.
Several factors explain this crisis. A global surplus, due to the recovery of harvests in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, as well as increased production in Ecuador, is putting downward pressure on prices. At the same time, global demand has fallen, with chocolate manufacturers reducing bar sizes, increasing the proportion of non-cocoa ingredients, and substituting cocoa butter with other fats.
In the face of this crisis, experts are calling for structural reforms. Henri Kouam, Executive Director of the Cameroon Economic Policy Institute (CEPI), stresses the need for the government to act on several fronts, including encouraging local processing of cocoa and capitalizing on the "Red Cocoa" certification for premium beans. Increasing local processing capacity, which now exceeds 100,000 tonnes per year, or 32% of the harvest, could reduce exposure to the volatility of commodity markets.
Despite the current difficulties, Cameroon launched the 2025-2026 cocoa season in Mbankomo, reaffirming the strategic importance of cocoa for the national economy. The government aims to modernize SODECAO and promote grouped cocoa sales, while introducing improved agricultural techniques to increase yields. The goal is to strengthen producer resilience through better market information and increased technical support.
Cocoa prices in Cameroon are hovering around FCFA 2,500/kg, a level below government targets for the 2025-2026 season. The situation highlights the need for concerted action to support producers and ensure the sustainability of the Cameroonian cocoa sector.
