Cameroon Has Highest Cocoa Prices in West Africa
By Synthia Lateu
Cameroon now ranks first in West Africa for cocoa prices, with the crop exchanging at an average of FCFA 5,000 per kilogram, according to Cocoaradar. The country reportedly delivers among the highest farmgate pay for cocoa, strengthening its competitive position alongside major producers such as Ghana, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire.
According to Minister of Commerce Mbarga Atangana, Cameroon’s cocoa output rose from 266,710 tonnes in 2023/2024 to 309,518 tonnes in 2024/2025, an increase of 42,808 tonnes, or 13%.
Beyond higher production, farmer incomes also improved, reinforcing the position of Cameroonian cocoa growers, now the best-paid in the world, said the minister, noting that farmers earned a total of CFA 1.2 trillion during the season.
Analysts say sustaining such prices could boost production incentives and curb smuggling of beans to neighboring countries.
By contrast, Cocoaradar reported that Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s top exporter, has delayed its pricing announcements for the upcoming season amid continued market volatility. Ghana has also raised farmer pay by 62% to 51,600 cedis (around $5,000 per tonne).
Globally, the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) reports a mixed picture, with prices fluctuating sharply through July 2025. Futures contracts that set the price of cocoa for future delivery initially fell in early July on expectations of a better 2025/26 harvest and weaker demand. But by mid-July, unsettled weather in Côte d’Ivoire triggered renewed concerns over supply, pushing prices upward again.
At the same time, production has been expanding in regions such as Latin America, where high global prices have spurred renewed cultivation. Yet demand is softening under the weight of persistently high costs. Q2 2025 grindings a key measure of cocoa processing fell across all major markets: Europe down 7.2%, the U.S. by 2.8%, and Asia by a steep 16.3%. Analysts suggest this tension between rising supply and weakening demand will remain central to cocoa market dynamics in the months ahead.
