Palm nut producers in the Littoral and Centre regions of Cameroon are anticipating a significant boost in income thanks to the construction of a new palm oil plant and the expansion of an existing one by the company Opalm. These investments, totaling approximately FCFA 17 billion, are projected to generate over FCFA 11 billion in annual revenue for palm nut producers, according to Opalm officials.
On April 8, 2026, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Lengue plant in the Moungo department (Littoral region), Patrice Yantho, the coordinator of Opalm's investment program, announced that the FCFA 9 billion plant will have a production capacity of 25,000 tons per year. The plant is expected to create over 340 direct and indirect jobs and guarantee the purchase of palm nuts from local planters for an estimated amount of over FCFA 5 billion per year in the Moungo production basin alone. Even before construction began, Opalm reports purchasing over 10,000 tons of palm fruit bunches in the Moungo region since 2024, valued at over FCFA 8 billion.
The expansion of the former Société camerounaise de palmeraies (Socapalm) plant in Eséka, in the Nyong-Ekelle department (Centre region), recently acquired by Opalm, is expected to generate even greater returns. According to Yantho, in less than two months, Opalm has already purchased over 15,000 tons of palm fruit bunches from planters for a value of over FCFA 1.2 billion. The company aims to reach nearly 75,000 tons for an annual value of FCFA 6 billion, following capacity increases through the installation of a new oil mill in Eséka, which will enable production of 25,000 tons compared to the current 7,000 tons.
The Minister of Agriculture, Gabriel Mbairobe, emphasized that Opalm's investments in Lengue and Eséka will not only increase production and producer incomes but also improve the productivity of oil palm plantations. This is thanks to the implementation of the specifications agreement signed in December 2025 between Opalm and the Cameroonian government. Under this agreement, Opalm is committed to supporting producers in the fertilization and regeneration of plantations by providing them with high-yield inputs and seeds, which should quadruple yields per hectare.
Opalm's investment program, supported by the government, provides for the construction of five palm oil production plants in the country's main production basins over the next five years. With a cumulative investment of approximately FCFA 45 billion, the company aims to increase local production by more than 100,000 tons, thereby reducing the current deficit that forces Cameroon to rely on significant imports by about 50%. Minister Mbairobe stressed that these investments are part of the government's import-substitution policy, aimed at rebalancing the country's trade balance. In 2025, Cameroon's trade deficit reached FCFA 2,145.2 billion, up 23% compared to the previous year, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
