With 31,643 tonnes of bananas exported in 2024, the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) recorded its best performance since resuming its activities in 2020. Despite a difficult economic and social climate, the public company is showing signs of recovery, although still far from its pre-crisis levels.
After a period of great difficulties, the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) reached a major milestone in 2024. The company exported 31,643 tonnes of bananas, recording an increase of 8.8% compared to 2023 and an impressive jump of 413% compared to 2020. This year, monthly exports even exceeded 4,000 tonnes in December, a record since its resumption. However, these figures remain far from the 80,000 tonnes annually recorded before its suspension of activities in 2018, due to the security crisis in the Anglophone regions.

This improvement remains fragile in a context marked by chronic financial difficulties. Between 2018 and 2022, the CDC accumulated a salary debt of 35.7 billion FCFA, a tax debt of 31 billion FCFA and a social debt of 24 billion FCFA, for a total of 81.7 billion FCFA. These debts, coupled with a 63.6% drop in the company’s revenues, have generated social tensions and considerably reduced its investment capacity.
To revive the company, a recovery plan was developed in 2022 under the supervision of the Prime Minister. In December 2024, a first debt buyback operation reduced the debt by 20 billion FCFA. A second tranche of 15 billion FCFA is planned for 2025 to continue the efforts. This breath of fresh air aims to stabilize the company’s finances while restarting its production.
Despite this progress, the CDC still faces many challenges, including rehabilitating its infrastructure, reintegrating thousands of employees, and resuming operations at its 12 still inactive sites. A key player in Cameroon’s agro-industry, specializing in the production of bananas, palm oil, and rubber, the CDC is essential to the local economy. Its full revival could revitalize the agricultural sector and contribute to the economic recovery of the English-speaking regions, which have been in crisis since 2016. In the meantime, the 2024 results show hope for renewal.