9% decrease in cocoa production recorded in 2013-2014

During the past campaign, the marketed production of cocoa beans has dropped by 19,000 tonnes compared to the previous one. However, it noted improvements with regard to the structuring of the producers, the quality of cocoa marketed, the monitoring of the purchasers, and also the behavior of prices.

The major fact to retain for the 2013-2014 cocoa campaign is the decline in the marketed quantity of cocoa beans. Cameroon has known in effect a marketed production of 209,905 tonnes during this campaign, against 228,910 tonnes in 2012-2013. This represents a decrease of 19,000 tonnes representing 9% regression in relative value.

These figures were presented by the national Office of cocoa and coffee (Oncc) and complemented by the Interprofessional Council of cocoa and coffee (CICC), to Bot-Makak Thursday, September 4, 2014, at the official launch of the 2014-2015 campaign by the Minister of Commerce, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana.

However, this decline does not overlook the proper holding of the Cameroonian cocoa which, for four years, has never fell below the 200,000 tonnes, according to the official statistics. The marketed production is determined by integrating to exports the volumes processed and the stocks at the end of the previous campaign and those of the campaign concerned.

The decline in the marketed production has resulted in the quantities exported: 174,629 tonnes in 2013-2014 against 180,722 tonnes, a decrease of 3.37 %. Note that these exports have experienced a specific situation related to the congestion of the autonomous port of Douala, which has had an influence on the enforcement of contracts. By contrast, stocks are rising.

During the campaign, which has just ended, these stocks are of 5,827 tonnes, against 3,335 tonnes a year earlier. In fact, 32,803 tons of cocoa correspond to the entries made to local units of processing. The company Sic cocoas won the Palme d'or with only 32,792 tonnes processed, or 99.96 per cent of these entries.

The rest has been transformed by a dozen artisanal producers. Transformer history exercising for more than 60 years in Cameroon, Sic cocoa has recorded an increase of its grindings of the order of 6.7 %, or 2,000 tonnes more in relation to the previous marketing year. The industrial transformation has seen two new structures, which have benefited from the program "Agropôle ".

Thus, Noha Nyamedjo in Douala has a capacity of grinding of 15,000 tonnes, while Fapam Industry at Mbalmayo is capable of crushing 5,000 tonnes. In perspective, we are directed to a local capacity to chop 70,000 tonnes by the industrial units, which will represent 30% of current production. As regards the local processing artisanal, we note a domination of the IAG Unak, in the department of the Mvila (Southern region), which has transformed 2.2 tonnes of cocoa beans during the 2013-2014campaign.

The context quasi-clandestine of this area does not allow us to have the exact figures, but it is estimated that some 20,000 tonnes of cocoa beans processed by the craftsmen. The products resulting from this transformation, including cocoa butter, are sold on the national market and sub-regional. There is also the cocoa powder outcome of the artisanal transformation which has found itself more and more in the supermarkets of Cameroon.

Good holding of price in the whole the price field instrument have been more remunerative to the producers who have made markets groups. The lowest level of these prices was 900 Fcfa per kilogram, while the best remuneration has been recorded in the locality of Makénéné (Central region) at 1,275 Fcfa per kilogram. By contrast, in the areas of production the movement of grouping of producers remains embryonic, as in the eastern region, the prices have varied between 750 Fcfa and 1,100 Fcfa per kilogram.

It is emphasized in the interprofession, these prices have been the best since three cocoa campaigns.

However, Cameroon must make efforts, at least in the eyes of the analysis made by the CICC. In effect, if the prices on the international market have been the best since the last three campaigns, oscillating between 1,252 Fcfa and 1,613 Fcfa per kilogram, the national route must multiply efforts in order to take advantage of it, particularly by intensifying the actions aimed at improving the differential of Cameroon who remains at a very low level compared to other African origins such as Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Nigeria.