(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon exported 16,105 tons of bananas in August 2024, according to the latest data from the Banana Association -Assobacam. This represents an increase of 2,103 tons (+15%) compared to August 2023. The data shows that all producers saw a rise in exports during this period, except for the state-owned Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC).
The CDC, which grows bananas, rubber, and oil palm in the Southwest and Littoral regions, exported only 2,268 tons of bananas in August 2024. This marks a 19% drop compared to the 2,795 tons it shipped during the same period in 2023, according to Assobacam. CDC is the second-largest employer in Cameroon after the public administration.
As usual, the local banana market was dominated by Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP), a subsidiary of the French company Compagnie Fruitière de Marseille. PHP’s exports rose by 14.3%, reaching 11,424 tons in August 2024, up from 9,996 tons a year earlier, showing an increase of 1,428 tons.
With this volume, Compagnie Fruitière de Marseille solidifies its leadership in Cameroon’s banana market, also boosted by the performance of its other subsidiary, Compagnie des Bananes de Mondoni (CDBM). In August 2024, CDBM exported 1,102 tons, a staggering 490% jump from the 187 tons it exported in August 2023.
CDBM’s August 2024 volume is its second-highest since starting operations in Cameroon in June 2023, following the 1,208 tons shipped in April 2024. Despite this growth, CDBM couldn’t reclaim its spot as the third-largest banana producer in the market, a position taken by Boh Plantations in April 2024, then lost in July.
From the data provided by Assobacam, Compagnie Fruitière de Marseille, through its two subsidiaries, PHP and CDBM, controlled about 78% of Cameroon’s banana market in August 2024, with a combined export volume of 12,526 tons.
Meanwhile, Boh Plantations, which regained its third-place ranking in July 2024, saw its banana exports rise by 23.4% in August 2024. Its exports increased by 287 tons, from 1,024 tons in August 2023 to 1,311 tons in August 2024.
Let’s note that bananas are one of Cameroon’s key sources of export revenue, with Europe as the main destination. For instance, according to BKP Economic Advisors, the United Kingdom alone accounted for 13% of Cameroon’s banana exports, generating nearly €10 million (CFA6.53 billion). Data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS) shows that in 2023, Cameroon exported CFA42.9 billion worth of bananas to G7 countries, which include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
