Cameroon's banana exports dropped by 10% year-on-year in August, according to the Cameroon Banana Association (Assobacam). Export volumes totaled 14,639 tons, compared to 16,105 tons in August 2024, a decline of 1,466 tons.
The decrease was mainly the result of reduced shipments from Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP), the sector's market leader. PHP, a subsidiary of France's Compagnie Fruitière de Marseille, exported 9,087 tons in August, down 25.7% from 11,424 tons in the same month last year.
Boh Plantations Plc also recorded a weaker performance. The company exported 839 tons in August, a 56.2% decrease from 1,311 tons in August 2024.
These declines were partially offset by growth at the state-owned Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) and Compagnie des Bananes de Mondoni (CDBM), the second subsidiary of Compagnie Fruitière de Marseille in Cameroon. The CDC achieved the strongest growth during the period, with exports rising 30.2% to 3,250 tons, up from 2,268 tons a year earlier. The company is the second-largest employer in Cameroon after the public administration.
CDBM exported 1,463 tons in August, up 24.7% from 1,102 tons in August 2024.
Bananas remain one of Cameroon's key export commodities, with Europe as the main destination. According to the National Institute of Statistics, Cameroon exported 42.9 billion CFA francs (about US$69.3 million) worth of bananas to G7 countries in 2023.
France's Compagnie Fruitière de Marseille continues to dominate the national banana industry, accounting for 70% to 80% of annual exports through its subsidiaries PHP and CDBM. The group also provides technical assistance to the other two producers, reinforcing its presence in the sector.
Source: Business in Cameroon