(Business in Cameroon) – Compagnie des bananes de Mondoni (CDBM), the second Cameroonian subsidiary of France’s Compagnie fruitière de Marseille, exported 5,944 tons of bananas during the first four months of 2025. This performance has propelled the producer, which only entered the banana market in June 2023, to third place among Cameroonian exporters, surpassing Boh Plantations PLC, a long-standing key player in the local market.
According to data compiled by the Banana Association of Cameroon (Assobacam), Boh Plantations PLC exported 3,947 tons of bananas to the international market by the end of April 2025, nearly 2,000 tons less than CDBM. This ascent allows the new Compagnie fruitière subsidiary to maintain its position among the top three local producers, a spot it has held almost continuously since the first quarter of 2024, just nine months after beginning operations.
CDBM’s robust performance especially helps its parent company consolidate its leadership in Cameroon’s banana market. Compagnie fruitière de Marseille controls between 70% and 80% of Cameroon’s annual banana exports, depending on the season. This dominance is further underscored by the fact that, in addition to its own subsidiaries (Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP) and CDBM) the French agro-industrial group, notably through PHP, also provides technical assistance to other producers, including CDC and Boh Plantations PLC.
Major Beneficiary of EPAs
Compagnie fruitière’s undisputed leadership in Cameroon’s banana market enables it to capture the majority of tax benefits from the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) signed between Cameroon and the European Union (EU). At the inaugural “EPA Prize” on July 5, 2023, PHP was recognized as the “largest EPA beneficiary in terms of customs duties not paid on imports into the European Union (that would be due without the EPA).” Organized by the EU Commission Delegation in Cameroon in partnership with the government, the competition acknowledges companies that have most effectively capitalized on EPAs between African countries and the EU.
“For the entire Cameroonian banana sector, of which PHP is the largest player, these savings amounted to CFAF 89 billion between 2016 and 2021, corresponding to 70% of the total savings made by all Cameroonian companies thanks to the EPA during this period,” the competition organizers revealed. “The benefits of the agreement allow PHP to compete with Latin American competitors and to maintain thousands of jobs in Cameroon… and stable exports of around CFAF 23 billion per year over the 2016–2022 period...”
Bananas are a primary source of export revenue for Cameroon, with Europe as the main market. For instance, according to BKP Economic Advisors, the United Kingdom alone accounts for 13% of Cameroon’s banana exports, generating nearly 10 million euros (CFAF 6.53 billion) in revenue. To maintain this trade relationship with Cameroon under favorable terms for products like bananas, the United Kingdom signed an agreement to apply the EPAs between Cameroon and the European Union on its territory, despite Brexit.
Brice R. Mbodiam
