During a press conference held in Yaoundé, the Minister of Commerce, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, announced the allocation by the Cameroonian government of quality bonuses, amounting to 2 billion FCFA, intended for cocoa producers for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 agricultural seasons. The beneficiary selection process is underway in the production regions and should be completed on August 30, 2024. The delivery of bonuses is scheduled to take place from October 15 to December 15, 2024.
This initiative brings the State’s total investment in cocoa quality to 5 billion FCFA since the 2017-2018 season. The minister stressed that this distribution coincides with an exceptional period for Cameroonian cocoa, which saw producer prices reach a record level and the country’s inclusion in the list of fine cocoa producers by the World Cocoa Organization.
This distribution is marked by record prices of 5,300 FCFA per kilogram for producers and the international recognition of Cameroon as a producer of fine cocoa. These developments illustrate Cameroon’s growing success in the sector and strengthen its position on the global cocoa scene.
The quality bonus, introduced in 2016-2017, aims to encourage the production of grade I cocoa and support producers in the face of a volatile market. Cameroon’s efforts to improve the quality of its cocoa appear to be paying off, as evidenced by the ONCC report for the 2020-2021 season, which indicates record volumes of quality cocoa subject to control.
The country has stepped up efforts to improve the quality of cocoa beans, aiming to better compete in international markets. The return on investment is clear: Cameroon has harvested “the best volume ever” in terms of beans subject to quality control and “the best percentage of grade I beans” for two decades.
