Cocoa export prices at Cameroon’s main port of Douala have slipped below CFA2,000 per kilogram, dealing a setback to expectations of a seasonal rebound as the dry season gets under way, according to official pricing data.
Cocoa beans loaded for export at the port were trading between CFA1,800 and CFA1,950 per kilogram, figures from the Système d’information des filières, a price-monitoring platform operated by the National Cocoa and Coffee Board, showed. The prices represent a drop of about CFA200 to CFA300 compared with levels recorded two weeks earlier, pushing export prices back below the psychologically important CFA2,000-per-kilogram threshold at Cameroon’s main cocoa hub.
The price decline has filtered through to farmgate prices in producing areas, at a time when growers had expected an improvement with the onset of the dry season, which began in December 2025. In a typical year, the transition from the rainy season to drier conditions brings firmer prices, as logistics constraints ease and buyers gradually remove discounts applied during periods of heavy rainfall.
During the rainy season, exporters often reduce purchase prices to offset higher transportation costs, particularly in remote growing areas where poor road conditions slow deliveries and increase vehicle maintenance expenses. With the arrival of the dry season, these discounts are usually scaled back, supporting higher prices for farmers. This year, however, the anticipated rebound has yet to materialise.
Industry participants say the current weakness reflects a combination of cautious buying by exporters and broader market uncertainty. “This is normally when prices begin to stabilise or move higher,” said one trader in Douala. “The fact that they are falling instead is creating concern among producers.”
The latest price levels are also testing official projections for the 2025–2026 cocoa season. Cameroonian authorities have forecast average producer prices of between CFA3,200 and CFA5,400 per kilogram, levels that are significantly above current export prices at the port. Sustained weakness could make it difficult to meet those targets, particularly if global prices remain volatile.
Cocoa has grown in importance for Cameroon’s economy in recent years, supported by strong international demand and higher prices paid to farmers. During the 2022–2023 season, farmgate prices reportedly reached as high as CFA6,000 per kilogram in some producing areas, sharply boosting rural incomes and export revenues.
According to the National Statistics Institute, cocoa beans overtook hydrocarbons in the first quarter of 2025 to become Cameroon’s leading export commodity. Cocoa exports generated CFA500.3 billion during the period, accounting for 44.8% of total export receipts. The shift marked a significant milestone for a country traditionally reliant on oil and gas earnings.
More Read
Analysts say the growing weight of cocoa in Cameroon’s export basket makes price movements at Douala particularly important for public finances, rural livelihoods and balance-of-payments stability. A prolonged downturn could affect government revenue projections and dampen income growth in cocoa-producing regions.
Globally, cocoa markets have experienced heightened volatility over the past two years, driven by weather disruptions, supply constraints in major producing countries and speculative activity. While Cameroon is not as large a producer as Côte d’Ivoire or Ghana, price trends in the global market tend to feed directly into local export and farmgate prices.
Market observers note that prices could still recover later in the dry season if export demand strengthens or if supply tightens. However, they caution that any sustained improvement will depend on both international market dynamics and domestic factors, including transport costs and the pace of purchases by exporters.
For now, farmers and traders are watching the market closely, hoping that the seasonal pattern reasserts itself in the coming weeks. “The dry season usually brings some relief,” the trader said. “Everyone is waiting to see if that will still happen this year.”
