Cameroon cocoa export earnings fall 63% in 2025-26

CAMEROON – Cameroon’s cocoa export earnings fell 63% during the 2025-26 season as lower shipments and weaker international prices sharply reduced revenues from the country’s key agricultural export. 

The National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC) said Cameroon exported 125,469 tonnes of raw cocoa beans during the season, which officially ended on July 15, 2026. Exports fell by 66,543 tonnes, or 34.7%, from 192,012 tonnes in the previous season. 

Export value at the port of Douala declined to CFA400.9 billion from CFA1.07 trillion a year earlier, representing a reduction of about CFA673 billion. 

The ONCC did not give a specific reason for the decline in export volumes. However, its data showed that marketed cocoa production fell 19.9% to 247,914 tonnes from 309,518 tonnes in 2024-25. 

At the same time, closing cocoa stocks nearly tripled to 40,446 tonnes from 13,946 tonnes, leaving an additional 26,500 tonnes in inventories at the end of the season. 

Telcar Cocoa regained its position as Cameroon’s largest cocoa exporter, shipping 40,631 tonnes, equivalent to 32.4% of total exports. 

The company, led by Kate Fotso, had lost the leading position during the 2024-25 season after its partnership with US commodities trader Cargill ended. Telcar exported 30,497 tonnes that season, representing a 15.7% market share. 

Ofi Cam ranked second in 2025-26 with 24,394 tonnes, or 19.4% of exports, while SBET moved into third place after shipping 23,223 tonnes, representing 18.5%. 

Together, the three exporters accounted for 70.3% of Cameroon’s cocoa bean exports during the season. 

Europe remained the dominant destination for Cameroon’s cocoa, receiving 84.6% of shipments, with the Netherlands leading the region. Asia accounted for 14%, while the Americas and Africa each received about 1%. 

The decline in export earnings also reflected a sharp fall in cocoa prices. ONCC data showed that FOB prices at the port of Douala ranged between CFA3,808 and CFA7,536 per kilogram in 2024-25. 

During the 2025-26 season, the price range fell to CFA1,520-CFA3,110 per kilogram, representing a decline of roughly 58% to 60% across the comparable ranges. 

The weaker cocoa performance follows a period in which the commodity gained importance in Cameroon’s export trade. Cocoa beans generated 26.3% of the country’s export revenue in 2025, according to the National Institute of Statistics, surpassing crude oil at 22.9%. 

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