Lang
Cameroon's government is planning to boost agricultural production in strategic sectors as part of the economic and financial programme presented by the Prime Minister. Regarding palm oil, authorities are targeting additional output of 20,500 tonnes in 2026. The move forms part of a broader effort to strengthen self-sufficiency and cut imports.
The plan coincides with the imminent finalisation of two loan agreements worth a combined 51.7 billion CFA francs with Standard Chartered Bank London. The funds will support the construction of a rubber processing plant and a palm oil mill for the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC). The investment is expected to strengthen national industrial capacity and improve value creation from farming through to processing.
Structural deficit fuels imports
Figures from early 2025 show renewed momentum, with national crude palm oil output reaching 77,630 tonnes in the first quarter, roughly three times the previous quarter's output, thanks to the peak of the main growing season. Despite this quarterly rise, the sector still falls short of meeting domestic needs. On a year-on-year basis, the quarterly volume fell by 10.6%, and authorities expect a decline of around 2% for the whole of 2025.
In 2024, Cameroon produced 446,984 tonnes of crude palm oil, according to Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute. This volume remains well below domestic demand. The Association of Oil Refiners (Asroc) estimates the structural deficit at more than 500,000 tonnes a year. This chronic shortfall drives heavy reliance on imports. According to the National Institute of Statistics, the country imported a total of 409,000 tonnes of palm oil between 2017 and 2023, at a cumulative cost of 280.4 billion CFA francs.
Achieving the targeted additional output for 2026 will depend on investment and coordination across the entire value chain, from plantations and yields to producer support, processing capacity, logistics and distribution. Without these improvements, the structural deficit and reliance on imports will continue to weigh on public finances, the trade balance and the competitiveness of the domestic industry.
Source: Business in Cameroon