According to national banana association Assobacam, Cameroon's banana exports dropped by 4,319 tons YoY (-23.6%) in April 2023. This month seems to be the worst month of the year so far, with declines of -1.6% in January and -2% in February.
No reasons were given for this poor performance, but low production due to increasingly dry seasons (January-March) and high international input costs could be factors. All three major players in the sector have seen their exports decrease, with the market leader Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP) experiencing the largest drop. In April 2023, PHP exported only 11,336 tons of bananas, down 24.5% from the 15,030 tons shipped in April 2022.
The reduction in banana shipments in April 2023 resulted in a decline in Cameroon's overall export earnings. Official data shows that bananas are a significant source of export revenue for the country, which is the second-largest producer of bananas in the African-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) countries, after Côte d'Ivoire. Cameroon exclusively exports its banana production to the European market.
Source: businessincameroon.com