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At the start of 2024-2025 cocoa season, Cameroonian producers are earning nearly double the prices compared to their counterparts in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the top two cocoa producers in the world, stated Cameroon’s National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC).
Last year, at this time, cocoa prices in Cameroon did not exceed CFA1,800 per kilogram, according to data from the Information System for Cocoa and Coffee (SIF), which tracks pricing managed by the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC). Now, at the start of the 2024-2025 cocoa season, Cameroonian producers are earning nearly double the prices compared to their counterparts in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the top two cocoa producers in the world. Since the 2024-2025 cocoa season began on August 8, cocoa producers in Cameroon have seen prices ranging from CFA3,500 to CFA3,650 per kilogram in different production areas.
In Côte d’Ivoire, the government recently raised prices by 20%, bringing the price to CFA1,800 per kilogram. In Ghana, the price was increased by 45%, setting it at CFA1,823 per kilogram. This means that in both countries, producers earn about half of what their Cameroonian peers are making.
This pricing advantage for Cameroon is a result of the liberalization of cocoa and coffee marketing that began in the late 1990s. In contrast, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana still have government-fixed prices for their cocoa.
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Cameroonian producers also enjoy the flexibility to set their prices and engage in group sales. This approach relies on competitive bidding among buyers. The ONCC explains that real-time information about FOB (Free on Board) and CAF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) prices, provided to cooperatives through the SIF, enhances the bargaining power of producers. As a result, they often secure better earnings compared to those in Côte d’Ivoire, where a network of intermediaries can reduce the margins for everyone involved in the supply chain.
