Cameroon Cocoa Prices Rise Above CFA2,000 per Kilogram as 2025/2026 Marketing Season Draws to a Close
Cameroon’s cocoa market has recorded a modest but significant milestone, with farmgate prices climbing above CFA2,000 per kilogram for the first time during the 2025/2026 marketing season. The development comes just weeks before the official close of the cocoa campaign on July 15, offering producers some relief after months of disappointing returns.
Fresh figures released by the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC) show that cocoa beans traded between CFA2,000 and CFA2,050 per kilogram on June 22, marking the season’s highest price level. Although the increase represents an improvement over previous months, it arrives much later than many farmers had hoped and remains considerably below the exceptional prices witnessed over the past two years.
The 2025/2026 cocoa season began with widespread optimism following consecutive years of record-breaking earnings for producers. Encouraged by strong international demand and supply shortages that had driven global cocoa prices to historic highs, Cameroonian authorities projected farmgate prices ranging from CFA3,200 to CFA5,400 per kilogram for the season.
However, market realities unfolded differently. Instead of maintaining the momentum seen in previous years, cocoa prices remained subdued for much of the campaign, leaving many farmers with returns that fell significantly short of expectations.
The contrast with previous seasons is striking. During the 2024/2025 marketing season, cocoa prices climbed to as high as CFA5,400 per kilogram, while producers in some growing regions earned nearly CFA6,000 per kilogram during the 2023/2024 campaign. Those unprecedented price levels delivered substantial income gains for cocoa farmers and raised hopes that the boom would continue.
Despite the recent rebound above CFA2,000 per kilogram, current prices remain approximately 62 percent below last season’s peak and nearly two-thirds lower than the record highs achieved during the 2023/2024 campaign. The figures underscore the dramatic shift in market conditions within just two years.
Analysts attribute the weaker prices largely to changes in the global cocoa market. Following several seasons of severe supply shortages that pushed prices to unprecedented levels, forecasts now point to improved production and a return to a global cocoa surplus. At the same time, slower industrial demand from some of the world’s major chocolate-consuming markets has eased pressure on international prices, contributing to softer returns for producing countries such as Cameroon.
The developments highlight the vulnerability of Cameroon’s cocoa industry to fluctuations in global commodity markets. Although the country’s high-quality cocoa beans and healthy competition among local buyers continue to support farmgate prices, international market dynamics remain the dominant factor influencing producer earnings.
With only a few weeks remaining before the close of the marketing season, the latest price increase could encourage more farmers to sell their remaining stocks in anticipation of the season’s end. Nevertheless, industry observers believe the late recovery is unlikely to significantly alter the overall performance of a campaign that has largely fallen short of both government projections and farmers’ expectations.
As Cameroon prepares for a new cocoa season, producers, exporters and policymakers will be closely watching global supply trends and consumer demand, hoping for a more favourable market environment that can restore stronger incomes for one of the country’s most important agricultural sectors.
