Cocoa beans were trading between CFA2,425 and CFA2,525 per kilogram yesterday Dec. 12 at the port of Douala, the sector information system (SIF) reported. The body overseen by the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC) reported that prices were broadly stable compared with December 2025, suggesting a pause after fluctuations seen in previous campaigns.
In producing areas, prices paid to farmers are typically higher than Douala port levels by about CFA100 to CFA150 per kilogram, according to producers in the Center region. Many are nevertheless hoping for a rapid improvement in prices, in line with the onset of the dry season, as rainfall has eased since December 2025.
The start of the dry season generally marks the end of price discounts applied by buyers, industry sources say. These discounts are often used to offset higher transport costs caused by poor road conditions in production zones during the rainy period.
Despite the recent stabilization, current price levels remain well below the assumptions used by the government for the 2025–2026 cocoa campaign. Authorities are targeting average farmgate prices of between CFA3,200 and CFA5,400 per kilogram. However, current market signals, both locally and internationally, are putting that outlook under pressure, with prices observed in Douala falling below the announced minimum threshold.
Cocoa remains a strategic export for Cameroon. During the 2022–2023 season, a sharp rise in producer prices, which reached as high as CFA6,000 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 CFA500.3 billion, or 44.8% of total export receipts.
BRM
