Cameroon "fights against illegal cocoa buyers" holding prices firm

The average purchase price of a kilogram of cocoa throughout the month of July 2014 is estimated at 1,050 CFA francs, according to the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCCB), cited by Commodafrica.

According to the same source, the average price was 900 CFA francs in May 2014.

We learn that this increase in the average price, is not only as the result of the good performance of the product in the international market, but also the result of "intensive government policy to fight against illegal beans buyers.”

In a report made public early in the season, the Ministry of Commerce recommends bundling beans, which is done only during periodic markets organized by producers themselves, after informing the administrative authorities.

They are allowed to buy beans at these bundling, only buyers in possession of a professional license issued by the Inter-professional cocoa-coffee, CICC can make purchases.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, this approach limits the fraudulent sales, usually performed at night, and strengthens the bargaining power of producers to buyers, ensuring better prices.

As a reminder, the Minister of Commerce revealed that during the last cocoa season in November 28, 2013, at the opening of the International Cocoa Festival (Festicacao), the 500,000 cocoa farmers in Cameroon identified in rural areas, and the 10,000 families living off the activity of cocoa processing in urban areas, had earned about 250 billion CFA francs on about 4500 billion CFA francs from the sale of beans internationally.