Cameroon’s Banana Exports on the Rise in 2022 Despite Ongoing Crisis

Published 2022년 4월 19일

Cameroon exported 57,523mt of bananas in Q1 2022, a YoY increase of 4.78%. Cameroon sold 22,604 tons of bananas in March, the best performance since the start of 2022, following 18,394mt in January 2022 and 16,525mt in February. The volume exported in March 2022 marks the largest monthly export volume since January 2018. Exports are expected to remain high for the remainder of 2022.

2021 Export Recap

Cameroon exported 198,634mt of bananas in 2021, which is 10,750mt more compared to the 187,884mt exported in 2020, a 5.41% YoY increase. According to the Cameroon Banana Association (Assobacam), the Cameroonian banana landscape consists of three main entities. Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP), the local subsidiary of Compagnie Fruitière and the leader of the banana market in Cameroon, exported 167,534mt of bananas in 2021, up by 772mt compared to the 166,762mt it exported in 2020. The state-owned agribusiness Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) is the second-largest and exported 16,779mt of bananas in 2021, 10,611mt more than the 6,168mt exported in 2020. This YoY increase of 172.03% is due to the resumption of operations at CDC plantations which were inactive in 2020. Boh Plantations (BPL), the third main banana exporter in Cameroon, exported 14,321mt of bananas in 2021, down by 633mt compared to the 14,954mt it exported in 2020.

Cameroon has been gripped by an ongoing civil conflict between the French-speaking majority state and the English-speaking minority, which started in October 2016. Armed separatist forces demanding the autonomy of Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions transformed the CDC’s plantations into training camps. Top management at CDC decided to halt operations in September 2018 due to safety and security concerns. This effectively removed a third of Cameroon’s bananas from the international market. Following 19 months of absence, the CDC returned to operation in June 2020.

The increase in exports during 2021 is mainly due to the return to operation of CDC plantations. The CDC’s performance since its resumption of banana production has decreased, producing 83.03% less during 2021 compared to the 98,890mt achieved during 2017, the last full year of production before the civil conflict. In 2021, after the CDC resumed operations, it rehabilitated 520ha of plantations with production expected to ramp up in 2022.

2022 Q1 Production and Outlook for Rest of the Year

Cameroon exported 57,523mt of bananas in Q1 2022, a YoY increase of 4.78% compared to 54,900 in Q1 2021. Cameroon sold 22,604 tons of bananas in March, the best performance since the start of 2022, following 18,394mt in January 2022 and 16,525mt in February. The volume exported in March 2022 marks the largest monthly export volume since January 2018. According to Assobacam, the improvement in exports is driven by the good performance of PHP and resumption of activities at CDC. Cameroonian banana exports are expected to maintain their increased volumes because of the resumption of activities at CDC plantations in the South-West regions. The other operators are also expected to grow during 2022 due to plantation extensions and equipment renewal, the Bank of Central African States points out.

Cameroon plans to increase its yearly production to 500,000mt by 2030, according to the projections contained in the 2020-2030 national development strategy. This means that there is still about 300,000mt in its production to fill within nine years or 33,000mt on average yearly till 2030. Achieving this objective will make Cameroon the largest exporter of bananas in Africa, surpassing Côte d'Ivoire which exported 388,845mt in 2020. It will also place Cameroon roughly on par with Mexico which currently occupies the position of 11th largest exporter of bananas.