(Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon, grappling with a chronic shortage of palm oil production, exported 657.3 tons of the commodity in 2022. This export generated about 713.6 million, marking a significant decline from 2021 when exports reached 4,073.7 tons and brought in revenues of CFA3.6 billion, data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS) shows.

The decrease in exports reflects a worsening production deficit, compounded by the increasing number of palm oil refineries and soap factories within the country. The Association of Oilseed Refiners of Cameroon (Asroc) has noted that the structural production deficit escalated from 130,000 tons in 2020 to 160,000 tons in 2022.

Emmanuel Koulou Ada, President of the Oilseed Sector Regulatory Committee, frequently addresses misconceptions about this deficit. "The structural deficit we often refer to is nominal, differing from the actual deficit. It is calculated based on 50% of the processing companies' capacities. When considering the real capacities of processors, the deficit is substantially larger," Ada explained.

To mitigate this structural shortfall and ensure the availability of crude palm oil for household use, Cameroon has resorted to importing palm oil under reduced tariff rates to satisfy industrial needs.