The price per kilogram of cocoa beans is approaching 2,000 FCFA in Cameroon's production basins, according to the Système d’information des filières (SIF), a price alert system managed by the Office national du cacao et du café (ONCC). This increase comes as the end of the 2025-2026 cocoa season is expected on July 15. On May 11, 2026, the price per kilogram of beans was between 1,750 and 1,800 FCFA, an increase of 150 FCFA in one week.
Despite this recent increase, current prices remain below the record highs of previous seasons. During the 2024-2025 season, the price per kilogram reached 5,400 FCFA, after a peak of 6,000 FCFA during the 2023-2024 season. Cameroonian authorities had initially projected prices between 3,200 and 5,400 FCFA per kilogram for the 2025-2026 season, but market conditions have proven less favorable.
Analysts believe that this gap between forecasts and actual prices is due to expectations of increased global production. The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) anticipates a recovery in global supply after the 2024-2025 season, following three seasons of production deficits. This expected surplus could put continued pressure on prices, both in producing countries and internationally.
Cameroon, currently the world's fourth-largest cocoa producer, aims for an annual production of 300,000 metric tons by the end of the 2026 cycle. Production is strategically distributed across several key basins: the Centre Region (Mbam-et-Kim) contributing approximately 45% of the national volume, the South-West (Kumba, Mamfe) known for its high-grade volcanic soil cocoa, accounting for 30%, and the South and Littoral regions accounting for the remaining 25%.
In early March 2026, the FOB price for premium fermented beans at the Port of Douala stabilized at 1,521 FCFA per kilogram. Cocoa remains a strategic export for Cameroon. During the 2022-2023 season, the sharp increase in producer prices, which reached 6,000 FCFA per kilogram, significantly boosted export earnings. According to the National Institute of Statistics (INS), cocoa overtook hydrocarbons in the first quarter of 2025 to become the country's leading source of export revenue, generating 500.3 billion FCFA, or 44.8% of total export receipts.
Despite price fluctuations, Cameroon remains an important player in the global cocoa market. Efforts to increase production and improve bean quality could help the country maintain its competitive position. The increasing local processing of cocoa is also helping to diversify exports and increase added value.
Experts predict a 12% increase in harvest prices by the fourth quarter of 2026, encouraging importers to enter into supply contracts now at the current base price of 1,521 FCFA/kg.
