(Business in Cameroon) - At end July 2016, banana producers exported 152,384 tons in total, the Banana Association of Cameroon (Assobacam) revealed. This performance is in decrease of approximately 5,000 tons compared to the 157,377 tons exported over the same period during 2015.

This drop in performance is primarily attributable to CDC, the public agro-industrial company and second provider of jobs in the country after the State, whose exports are lower by 10,000 tons compared to end July 2015.

Indeed, this State company, who suspended its marketing activity for non-standard banana this year, globally only exported 61,010 tons out of the first seven months of 2016, against 71,789 tons as at end July 2015.

Banana exports in Cameroon are still dominated by Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP), subsidiary of Compagnie Fruitière de Marseille. According to Assobacam, this company’s exports represented more than 40% of total Cameroonian exports as at end July 2016, with 85,473 tons, against 92, 874 tons during the period under review in 2015, thus a drop of 7,401 tons.

Brice R. Mbodiam