Despite a significant production deficit, Cameroon's palm oil exports experienced a notable increase in 2025. According to the National Institute of Statistics (INS), these exports increased by 17%, reaching 177 tons compared to 152 tons in 2024. This performance occurs in a context where Cameroon faces a palm oil production deficit estimated between 200,000 and 300,000 tons per year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
This deficit is mainly due to the increasing demand from local processing industries. To compensate for this shortage, the Cameroonian government authorizes massive imports of palm oil each year at reduced customs rates. In 2023, for example, the country authorized the import of 200,000 tons of palm oil, a record.
Although exports continue in a context of production deficit, their volume remains limited. In 2023, exports reached 1,687.5 tons, three times the volume of 2022 (657 tons). This situation highlights the priority given to supplying the domestic market in the face of sustained industrial demand.
The Cameroonian government has implemented a palm oil sector recovery program for the period 2024-2026, with a budget of 21.7 billion FCFA. This program aims to modernize production tools and improve the yields of the main agro-industrial players such as CDC, Socapalm and Pamol. In addition, private initiatives, such as Opalm's investment in a palm oil processing plant, should help increase national production.
Opalm plans to build five palm oil processing plants in Cameroon, with a total investment estimated at 45 billion FCFA. The first plant is expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2027 at the latest. According to Opalm's CEO, Tarek Daoud, these plants should reduce the production deficit by approximately 50% by adding 108,000 tons to the supply available to local industries.
Cameroon aims to increase its production by an additional 20,500 tons in 2026, a goal that is part of a broader strategy to strengthen self-sufficiency in key agricultural sectors and reduce dependence on costly imports. To achieve this goal, the country is banking on the expansion of plantations, the improvement of smallholder yields, the strengthening of support for producers and the modernization of logistics.
Despite a strong performance in the first quarter of 2025, where production tripled to reach 77,630 tons, forecasts indicate a slight decrease in total production of approximately 2% by the end of the year. The government remains determined to achieve its production targets to reduce its dependence on imports and stimulate agro-industrial activity.
The Minister of Agriculture, Gabriel Mbairobe, stressed that palm oil imports, estimated at around 100 billion FCFA per year, weigh heavily on Cameroon's trade balance. Increasing local production would not only reduce imports, but also increase the use of existing processing capacities, which currently operate between 40 and 50% of their capacity.
Cameroon's efforts to develop its palm oil sector are crucial to ensuring its food self-sufficiency and reducing its dependence on foreign markets. The successful implementation of government programs and private investments will play a key role in achieving these goals.
