Cameroon banana exports jump 21.5% as PHP losses persist
Cumulative losses over the two years totalled CFA10.4 billion (US$18.2 million).
CAMEROON – Cameroon’s banana exports rose sharply in the first nine months of 2026, but the financial performance of the country’s largest exporter raises questions about how much of that growth will translate into profits, according to Assobacam.
Cameroon exported 194,273 tons of bananas between January and September 2026, up 21.5% from 159,952 tons in the same period in 2025.
September shipments reached 29,019 tons, up 27.7% from 22,720 tons a year earlier, and were the second-highest monthly volume of 2026, behind January’s 31,257 tons.
Two subsidiaries of the French group Compagnie Fruitière accounted for nearly 82% of exports.
Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP) shipped 133,583 tons, accounting for 68.8% of national exports, while Compagnie des bananes de Mondoni (CDBM) shipped 25,643 tons, already exceeding its full-year 2025 total of 23,814 tons.
Meanwhile, Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) exported 35,047 tons, accounting for about 18% of shipments.
For investors, the divergence between volume growth and profitability is the central issue. PHP reported a net loss of CFA5.78 billion (US$10.1 million) in 2025, following a deficit of CFA4.62 billion (US$8.1 million) in 2024, according to Compagnie Fruitière Import’s financial statements.
Cumulative losses over the two years totalled CFA10.4 billion (US$18.2 million). Revenue fell 32.4%, from CFA84.8 billion to CFA57.3 billion, even though export volumes declined by just 1%, from 153,258 tons to 151,713 tons.
That gap suggests pressure lies in pricing and cost structure rather than in demand. World Bank data cited by Cameroon’s Ministry of Economy show that the average global banana price fell by approximately 11.2% in 2025, amid increased supply and competition among producing countries.
PHP and CDBM’s growth followed their acquisition of assets from Boh Plantations Plc on October 22, 2025, with PHP taking the Mbonjo plantation and CDBM the Missaka site.
However, Assobacam’s statistics do not distinguish bananas from those acquired through the plantations, so the data cannot establish how much of the 2026 increase came from the acquisition versus higher output at existing operations.
By the end of September, with 194,273 tons exported, Cameroon was just 31,072 tons short of the full 2025 total. If fourth-quarter shipments match the 65,400 tons recorded in 2025, national exports could approach 260,000 tons in 2026.
Lastly, for PHP, which accounts for more than two-thirds of shipments, the next set of financial results will determine whether stronger volumes finally translate into profitability.
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