(Business in Cameroon) – Telcar Cocoa, the Cameroonian cocoa trader controlled by businesswoman Kate Fotso, saw its bean purchases drop sharply in the 2024-2025 season, which ended in July. The company bought only 32,406 tons, down more than 50% from 65,468 tons in the previous season, according to the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC).
In terms of market share, SIC Cacaos led with 14.89%, followed by Sbet with 11.95%, Telcar with 10.40%, and Atlantic Cocoa with 10.28%, the ONCC reported. The steep decline for Telcar comes as the company ended its long-standing partnership with U.S. agribusiness giant Cargill earlier this year.
After two decades of cooperation, Telcar and Cargill parted ways in early 2025 due to disagreements over revenue sharing and compliance with international sustainability standards. Sources close to the matter said Cargill, which controls about 20% of the global cocoa market, has been placing stronger emphasis on sustainable practices, including child labor prevention and anti-deforestation measures. Telcar reportedly struggled to meet these requirements, pushing Cargill to seek other partners in Cameroon starting in 2024.
As a result, Telcar lost its position as Cameroon’s leading cocoa exporter. Once the country’s top trader, the company was overtaken in the latest campaign by Sbet. Data from the ONCC show Sbet accounted for 18.7% of volumes cleared for export in 2024-2025, equal to 36,215 tons. Telcar’s share fell to 15.7%, or 30,497 tons, compared with 35.1% in 2023-2024 and 35.8% in 2022-2023.
