Cameroon’s Banana Exports Rise 17.6% in First Half as Production Recovery Lifts Export Earnings

Cameroon’s Banana Exports Jump 17.6% in First Half, Strengthening a Key Export Revenue Stream

Cameroon exported 122,001 metric tons of bananas during the first six months of 2026, a 17.6% increase from a year earlier, reinforcing the crop’s role as one of the country’s most important sources of export earnings.

According to data compiled by the Cameroon Banana Association (Assobacam), banana exports increased by 21,437 metric tons compared with the 100,564 metric tons shipped to international markets during the first half of 2025.

As in previous years, the increase was driven primarily by the French agribusiness group Compagnie Fruitière. Its largest Cameroonian subsidiary, Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP), the country’s leading banana producer, exported 86,267 metric tons through the end of June, up from 70,857 metric tons a year earlier. The gain of 15,410 metric tons represents an 18% year-over-year increase.

The group’s second local subsidiary, Compagnie des Bananes de Mondoni (CDBM), posted even faster growth. It exported 14,621 metric tons during the first half of 2026, compared with 9,336 metric tons during the same period last year, an increase of 5,285 metric tons, or 36.1%.

Compagnie Fruitière Drives Industry Growth

Together, PHP and CDBM increased their exports by a combined 20,695 metric tons, accounting for nearly all of the country’s overall export growth during the period.

Their strong performance reflects not only solid production but also the acquisition in October 2025 of the agricultural assets of Boh Plantations Plc—excluding its shares and business operations—which had previously ranked as Cameroon’s fourth-largest banana producer.

During the first half of 2025, Boh Plantations exported 5,592 metric tons of bananas, according to Assobacam.

CDC Still Faces Structural Challenges

Alongside Compagnie Fruitière’s subsidiaries, the state-owned Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) exported 21,113 metric tons of bananas during the first half of 2026, up 742 metric tons, or 3.5%, from the 20,371 metric tons shipped during the same period in 2025.

However, CDC exported just 3,085 metric tons in June, its lowest monthly volume since the start of the year. The company’s export performance continues to reflect the long-term impact of the socio-political crisis that has affected Cameroon’s English-speaking regions since late 2016.

Separatist unrest severely disrupted operations at several of the company’s banana, rubber, and oil palm plantations, particularly in the Southwest Region. Many of those plantations remained idle for extended periods, resulting in substantial financial losses that continue to weigh on the company’s financial position and operating performance.

Banana Remains a Key Export Earner

While CDC continues to recover, PHP and CDBM remain the main drivers of Cameroon’s banana industry. Their higher export volumes during the first half of 2026 are expected to translate into higher revenues for both producers and the government.

Bananas remain one of Cameroon’s leading agricultural export products. According to the National Institute of Statistics (INS), banana exports generated CFA67.7 billion in export revenue in 2025, an increase of 84.7% from the previous year.

Brice R. Mbodiam