Cameroon's 2025-2026 cocoa season, theoretically ending on July 15, is projected to see the lowest producer prices in the last three years. With four months remaining, purchase prices in the country's main production basins remain below the 1,500 FCFA per kilogram mark.
According to the Système d'information des filières (SIF), cocoa bean prices in production areas ranged from 1,300 to 1,450 FCFA per kilogram as of April 13, 2026. These prices are significantly lower than the peaks of previous seasons, which saw 5,400 FCFA per kilogram in the preceding season and 6,000 FCFA per kilogram in 2023-2024.
Despite these figures, Cameroonian authorities initially anticipated prices between 3,200 and 5,400 FCFA per kilogram for the 2025-2026 season, building on the upward trend of the last two years. However, the current international situation has contradicted these optimistic expectations.
Analysts attribute this discrepancy to an expected increase in global cocoa production. The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) forecasts that this increase will extend the recovery in global supply seen since the 2024-2025 season, following three years of deficit. A production surplus is expected to exert downward pressure on cocoa prices throughout the campaign, both internationally and in producing countries like Cameroon.
As of early March 2026, the FOB price for premium fermented cocoa beans at the Port of Douala stabilized at 1,521 FCFA per kilogram. Forecasts indicate a 12% increase by Q4 2026. Cameroon aims for an annual output of 300,000 metric tons by the end of the 2026 cycle.
Due to the price collapse compared to the highs of previous seasons, Cameroonian cocoa producers are facing increasing distress. Some producers are abandoning cocoa farms or cutting down trees to grow other products, while others are turning to coffee.
