(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon is expected to experience a second consecutive decline in cotton production this year. This is the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) finding, as highlighted in a report from the French Ministry of Economy. The report notes that “after a contraction in 2023, a slight recovery in cotton seed production is expected in 2024. Regional production (CEMAC) is projected to reach 697,000 tons, with particularly notable performance in Chad. In contrast, Cameroon and the Central African Republic are likely to continue facing challenges, resulting in relatively low volumes”.
This bleak outlook follows a decrease in cotton production in Cameroon in 2023. Official data from the Cotton Development Company (Sodecoton), which supports over 220,000 farmers in the northern part of the country, shows that production fell to 314,455 tons in 2023, down from 330,000 tons in 2022.
Analysis of Sodecoton’s data suggests that the decline in 2023 resulted from a reduction in the area of land cultivated during the season. Official figures indicate that cultivated areas dropped from nearly 232,000 hectares in 2022 to just over 223,000 hectares in 2023. This represents a gap of 9,000 hectares, which likely remains unfilled in 2024.
