Robusta coffee exports rise to 1,669 tonnes by end-February

Cameroon's robusta coffee exports more than doubled to 1,669 tonnes by end-February since the season opened on Dec. 1 from 790 tonnes in the same period a year earlier, statistics from an industry group showed on Wednesday.

Cameroon is one of the few African countries that grows both robusta and arabica coffee but some of its production is smuggled to neighbouring Nigeria where farmers receive a higher price.

Data from the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCCB) showed that there was no arabica coffee exports in February. Arabica exports remain at 249 tonnes since the start of the 2014/15 season last October 1.

The Central African nation exported 1,208 tonnes of robusta the previous month.

Data showed Olam Cam, the local unit of Singapore's Olam International topped the exports chart with 373 tonnes of beans shipped abroad, followed by GIC Proba with 73 tonnes and Nealiko with 15 tonnes.