Cameroon cocoa farmgate prices up slightly by mid-July

Cocoa farmgate prices in Cameroon, the world's fifth biggest grower, rose slightly across most of the country's growing regions in July, as the government moved to crack down on illegal buyers, farmers said.

The authorities are encouraging the creation of new farmer cooperatives to boost growers'ability to dictate their selling prices.

Additional law enforcement officers have also been sent to cocoa areas in an attempt to limit the influence of unregistered buyers, who go door-to-door negotiating with individual farmers.

"Gendarmes and policemen deployed along the roads and operating throughout the day and night have for the last two months seized beans from these illegal buyers," said Essian Efa,a cocoa farmer who heads a cooperative in the South Region.

"This has resulted in many of them discovering that they are wasting their money and no more are coming in. So, we are very grateful to the government for assisting us," he said.

Efa said prices in the town of Ebolowa, where he is based, had increased to 1,050 CFA francs ($2.18) per kg from around 900 CFA francs/kg last month.

Cocoa is grown in Cameroon in four of the 10 regions. The Centre and South-West each account for 40 percent of national output, the South 15 percent and the East 5 percent.

The season runs from Aug. 1 to July 31, with the main harvest period from October to January/February and the light crop harvest from April/May to June/July.

Cameroon's cocoa output hit a record of 240,000 tonnes in the 2010/11 season but slipped to 220,000 tonnes in 2011/12 due to attacks by pests and diseases and a prolonged dry season.

It then rose to 228,948 tonnes in 2012/13, and is expected to rise to around 235,000 tonnes in the ongoing 2013/14 season.

Below are the average farmgate prices in CFA francs per kg recorded across the regions by mid-June:

Region District July June

South-West Mamfe 1,000 985 Konye 1,175 1,125 Mbonge 1,180 1,120 Muyuka 1,180 1,125 Kumba 1,200 1,130 Centre: Bafia 1,250 1,240 Emana 1,185 1,150 Mbalmayo 1,175 1,025

South: Ebolowa 1,050 900 Sangmelima 1,100 975

East: Bertoua 870 850 Yokadouma 800 800

($1 = 482.4300 Central African CFA Francs)