(Business in Cameroon) - Out of the seven African countries (Cameroon, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, Congo, Gabon, CAR) in which it has offices, Cameroon is the most dynamic market for the French agro-industrial group Somdiaa, which is mainly in the sugar (67.2% of the group’s turnover), flour (31.7% of the turnover) and poultry sectors.

Indeed, we learn from the official figures of the group, the Société Sucrière du Cameroon (Sosucam – Cameroon Sugar Company), its subsidiary in the country, represented on its own 34.1% (approximately FCfa 110 billion) in the global turnover of the Somdiaa group in 2015 (€ 489.7 million). With this share in the global turnover, Cameroon represents more than Côte d’Ivoire (19.1%) and Gabon (16.5%) combined, the other two most dynamic markets of the group on the continent.

The contribution of Cameroon in the turnover of this agro-industrial group should grow in the coming years. Indeed, in addition to the implementation of a FCfa 110 billion investment program started since the 2013-2014 season to increase Sosucam’s production by 50,000 tons in 2017 (to reach 170,000 tons), Somdiaa is planning to go into the poultry business in Cameroon from 2017, we learn from credible sources.

In effect, this agro-industrial group is actually planning to duplicate in Cameroon its Gabonese experience, a country in which its subsidiary, Société Meunière et Avicole du Gabon, which until recently was producing eggs and flour, went into the production of one-day old chick from 2009. It now produces 350,000 chicks per year.

Brice R. Mbodiam