(Business in Cameroon) – August 7, 2025, marks the official launch of Cameroon’s 2025–2026 cocoa season. The opening ceremony was held in Mbankomo, a key production area in the Center region, located about 20 kilometers from Yaoundé. The event was presided over by Minister of Trade Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana.
In a statement released the day before, the minister shared encouraging results for the previous season. The 2024–2025 cocoa campaign, which officially ended on July 15, recorded a historic high in marketed production. According to the minister, Cameroon’s cocoa output jumped from 266,710 tons in 2023–2024 to 309,518 tons in 2024–2025—an increase of 42,808 tons, or 13%.
This performance exceeded the forecast made in February 2025 by Fitch Solutions. The U.S.-based firm, owned by Fitch Ratings, had predicted a 6.7% increase in cocoa production, estimating the season’s output at around 280,000 tons.
In contrast, the final figure is more in line with the projection by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC). In a March 2025 report on key economic, monetary, and financial indicators in the CEMAC zone (which includes Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, and the Central African Republic), BEAC estimated Cameroon’s cocoa output at 306,800 tons for the 2024–2025 season.
Beyond higher production, farmer prices also remained strong during the season. “This has reinforced the position of Cameroonian cocoa growers, now the best-paid in the world,” said Minister Mbarga Atangana.
Throughout the season, farmgate prices ranged between CFA3,210 and CFA5,400 per kilogram. Although lower than the CFA6,300 per kilogram peak seen in some regions during the 2023–2024 campaign, these prices still resulted in significant income. The minister reported that cocoa farmers earned a total of CFA1.2 trillion during the 2024–2025 season.
