Cameroon launches first robusta coffee processing centre to boost quality and global market access 

CAMEROON – Cameroon has inaugurated its first robusta coffee post-harvest processing centre in Baditoum, East Region, marking a significant step in efforts to improve quality and expand access to premium markets. 

The facility, developed by the Conseil interprofessionnel du cacao et du café (CICC), is equipped with a fermentation room and drying areas designed to support specialized processing techniques aimed at producing high-quality coffee beans. 

Akanksa Gupta, an expert from the Specialty Coffee Association who attended the inauguration, described the project as a milestone for the country’s coffee sector.  

“This excellence center marks the beginning of specialty coffee production in Cameroon,” she said. 

Industry stakeholders say the focus on improved processing is expected to unlock higher-value opportunities for farmers. Anselme Gouthon, president of the Association des cafés robusta d’Afrique et de Madagascar (Acram), welcomed the initiative, noting its potential to enhance competitiveness.  

“The more we focus on quality, the easier it becomes to access niche markets, where coffee can be sold at better prices for producers,” he said. 

The initiative reflects a broader strategy by the CICC to replicate the success seen in Cameroon’s cocoa sector, where post-harvest processing centres have helped farmers secure better prices through direct partnerships with international buyers. These efforts have also strengthened the country’s global reputation for quality cocoa. 

On February 20, 2026, Cameroon won a gold medal in the Africa and Indian Ocean category at the 10th Cocoa of Excellence Awards in Amsterdam.  

The country’s cocoa sector also gained recognition in June 2023 when it was admitted, alongside Ghana, into the group of “fine cocoa” producers, a category previously dominated by South American countries. 

Building on this momentum, Cameroon is extending its value addition strategy to coffee. Earlier this month, authorities inaugurated a 1.05 billion CFA franc roasting unit in Bafoussam, located at the headquarters of the Central Union of Western Agricultural Cooperatives (UCCAO). 

The facility, funded through a public-private partnership, includes a full processing chain and is supported by infrastructure such as a 400 kVA generator and an 11-kW compressor to ensure uninterrupted operations. 

The government has also announced plans to establish an instant coffee production unit in the West Region, targeting both domestic and international markets. 

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Gabriel Mbaïrobé said the investments are aligned with a national strategy to increase local value addition.  

He described coffee as Cameroon’s “green gold” and emphasized the goal of supplying both domestic consumers and export markets with finished coffee products rather than raw beans. 

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