Cameroon cocoa prices slump to three-season low amid global supply rebound

With four months remaining before the close of the 2025–2026 cocoa season, farmgate prices in Cameroon have stayed below CFA1,500 per kilogram, marking the weakest performance in three seasons.

The current campaign, scheduled to end on July 15, has so far failed to mirror the strong price gains recorded in previous years.

Data from the Commodity Information System (SIF) shows cocoa beans were trading between CFA1,300 and CFA1,450 per kilogram in key production areas as of April 13, 2026.

These figures represent a sharp decline compared to recent seasons, when farmers earned as much as CFA5,400 per kilogram in the last campaign and up to CFA6,000 per kilogram during the 2023–2024 season.

At the start of the current season, authorities had projected farmgate prices to range between CFA3,200 and CFA5,400 per kilogram, supported by strong upward trends over the past two years. However, those expectations have not been realised as market conditions shifted.

Analysts attribute the downturn to changes in the global cocoa outlook. The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) projects an increase in global production, extending the recovery in supply that began in the 2024–2025 season after three consecutive years of deficits.

The expected surplus is likely to continue exerting downward pressure on cocoa prices throughout the season, both on international markets and in producing countries such as Cameroon.