(Business in Cameroon) – In 2025, the Cameroonian government will assist palm oil producers in growing pre-germinated palm seeds. Prime Minister Joseph Dion Nguté shared this plan on December 1, 2024, during a presentation at the National Assembly on the government’s economic, financial, social, and cultural program for the year. However, he did not provide specific details on how this support would be implemented.
According to the Prime Minister, the seeds produced will be used to regenerate 5,000 hectares of plantations across the country, including 3,500 hectares of smallholder farms and 1,500 hectares of industrial plantations.
Once these plantations begin production, palm oil output in Cameroon is expected to rise in the coming years. However, this increase is unlikely to fully close the long-standing production gap caused by growing demand from refining units and households.
Data from the Cameroonian Association of Oilseed Refiners (Asroc) shows that in 2022, the annual structural deficit—based on operating refineries at 50% capacity—was 160,000 tons, up from 90,000–100,000 tons in previous years. The actual deficit, according to industry stakeholders, is estimated at over 500,000 tons per year.
This shortfall forces Cameroon to rely heavily on imports. Between 2017 and 2023, the country imported 409,000 tons of palm oil from other African nations, worth CFA280.4 billion, according to the National Institute of Statistics’ report on foreign trade.
