PAMOL Plantations Plc has unveiled a 10-year recovery programme valued at 36 billion CFA francs aimed at restoring production, modernising infrastructure and clearing salary arrears after ageing equipment and declining plantation yields disrupted operations across its estates in the South West Region.

The plan was presented by the company’s General Manager, Mbile Tapea Solomon, during a press briefing held on May 16, 2026, in Limbe, where management detailed the operational and financial pressures facing the state-linked agro-industrial corporation. The briefing followed growing concern over unpaid salaries affecting nearly 1,000 workers and declining production at one of Cameroon’s oldest palm oil producers.

Management stated that field workers have been paid through February 2026, while management staff, including the General Manager, have received salaries only up to January 2026. The company attributed the arrears to reduced production caused by deteriorating infrastructure and ageing plantations rather than administrative mismanagement.

According to figures presented by the company, PAMOL’s palm oil production rose steadily between 2021 and 2024 before reaching 3,692 metric tonnes in 2024. Output then dropped sharply in 2025 to 2,556 metric tonnes, representing a decline of more than 1,100 metric tonnes within a year. Management linked the fall to overaged palm trees, with between 65 and 70 per cent of plantations reportedly exceeding their productive lifespan. Some trees are said to be about 40 years old, making harvesting increasingly inefficient and costly.

The company also reported that deteriorating steam boilers at its two processing mills significantly weakened processing capacity and reduced revenue generation. PAMOL’s mills are not connected to the national electricity network and rely entirely on steam-powered systems commissioned in 1967. One boiler reportedly began failing in late 2024 due to worn internal tubes, while the second had already remained inactive for several years.

Management stated that the breakdowns affected the company’s ability to process harvested fruit bunches, reducing cash flow and limiting its capacity to meet salary obligations. PAMOL estimated that losses linked to unprocessed fruit range between 700 million FCFA and 800 million FCFA for each metric tonne that cannot be processed. Emergency repair works are currently underway to maintain limited production using the remaining operational boiler.

As part of its short-term stabilisation measures, the company announced plans to install a decanter at the Lobe mill to improve extraction efficiency and increase oil output before the broader rehabilitation programme is implemented.

The strategic plan submitted to the government includes the construction of a new 30-tonne-per-hour oil mill at Lobe, refurbishment of the Ndian mill, replanting of ageing estates, rehabilitation of estate roads and bridges, and construction of staff housing, health facilities and recreational infrastructure. The programme also includes provisions for settling salary arrears and supporting workers affected by the downturn.

The project is expected to increase annual palm oil production from approximately 6,000 metric tonnes to 36,000 metric tonnes while creating about 2,000 jobs.

PAMOL currently operates around 11,000 hectares of plantations, mainly in Ndian Division. The company, which once employed nearly 3,000 workers, now has fewer than 1,000 employees following years of reduced activity linked partly to the security crisis in the North West and South West Regions. Estate yields have also fallen sharply from previous levels of between 15 and 18 tonnes of fresh fruit bunches per hectare to less than two tonnes per hectare.

Source: Business in Cameroon

Cameroonian traders are gearing up to boost exports to China as the zero-tariff policy of the world’s second-largest economy for least developed countries with diplomatic ties came into effect on May 1, offering wider market access and reduced trade barriers for products ranging from timber to cocoa.

The landmark policy, which covers 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China, is also seen as an opportunity to strengthen local manufacturing and encourage the export of finished goods rather than raw materials, analysts say.

“Cameroonian importers and businessmen are ready to export to China to benefit from the complete exemption of export taxes. We have five products for export: wood, which I process through my own company; cocoa, which is widely consumed in China; coffee; vegetable oil; and minerals such as gold and cobalt. I advise Cameroonians to process their products before exporting them, because selling raw materials brings no added value,” said Merlin Manfo, president of the China-Cameroon Import-Export Trade Association.

While trade experts praise the policy for removing financial barriers, they caution that Cameroonian products must meet strict quality requirements and overcome bureaucratic delays to compete successfully with other African goods and maintain a foothold in the Chinese market.

African exports have long faced high tariffs, stringent standards and complex procedures in global markets. China’s zero-tariff treatment is expected to ease those barriers significantly.

In 2025, China-Africa trade grew by 17.7 percent year on year to reach 348 billion U.S. dollars, with Africa’s exports to China exceeding 123 billion dollars. With the zero-tariff policy now in effect, countries like Cameroon are looking forward to further export growth.

Source: Bastille Post

Dangote Cement Cameroon started 2026 on a weaker footing. According to the group’s quarterly report, the Cameroonian subsidiary recorded a 15.8% year-on-year decline in sales volumes, to about 300,000 tons, in contrast with trends observed in several other African markets.

The group attributes this performance to a slower start to the year in Cameroon, in a post-election environment marked, according to the company, by a slowdown in construction activity. In its report, Dangote Cement notes that delays in public spending and slower execution of infrastructure projects weighed on demand, limiting the contribution of the industrial sector to growth during the quarter.

In a country where the construction sector relies heavily on public procurement, especially for road infrastructure, administrative buildings, and housing programs, any slowdown in project execution quickly affects cement consumption. The decline recorded by Dangote Cement Cameroon highlights the sensitivity of the market to budget decisions and the pace of public investment.

This downturn comes despite a relatively stable macroeconomic environment. The group points out that inflation remained contained at around 2.5% in 2025 and early 2026, a level that typically provides greater visibility for businesses. This stability, however, did not support demand in the construction sector.

On the industrial side, Dangote Cement also highlights increased clinker flows within the group. During the period, the Nigeria region shipped 378,200 tons of clinker to Cameroon and Ghana, a 58.8% increase compared with the same period in 2025. These transfers reflect the group’s integration strategy, which relies on intra-group trade to secure supply for its subsidiaries, particularly for grinding operations.

The decline in Cameroon contrasts with performance in several other African markets in the first quarter of 2026. Sales volumes rose by 31.5% in Ethiopia to 657,700 tons, by 24.7% in Tanzania to 592,800 tons, by 15.8% in Senegal to 347,300 tons, and by 16.2% in Zambia to 210,400 tons. Even in Ghana, where sales fell slightly by 2.1%, the decline remained far smaller than in Cameroon.

At the group level, Dangote Cement reported strong results. Revenue rose by 20.4% to 1,198 billion naira, or about CFA479.2 billion, while net profit increased by 53.5% to 321.1 billion naira, equivalent to about CFA128.4 billion.

These results confirm the group’s overall strength across the continent but highlight the weaker performance of its Cameroonian subsidiary in the first three months of the year. They also underline the continued dependence of the local cement market on public spending and the pace of infrastructure project execution.

Source: ecofin agency

Cocoa bean prices are rising again across Cameroon’s production basins just two months before the end of the 2025/2026 marketing season scheduled for July 15.

According to data published by the Information System for Commodity Chains (SIF) of the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC), cocoa prices ranged between CFA1,550 and CFA1,650 per kilogram as of May 6, 2026, moving back above the symbolic CFA1,500 threshold.

In recent weeks, prices observed in producing areas had generally hovered around CFA1,300 per kilogram.

Despite the rebound, prices currently paid to Cameroonian producers remain far below the record highs reached during previous seasons.

During the 2024/2025 season, cocoa prices peaked at CFA5,400 per kilogram after reaching a record CFA6,000 during the 2023/2024 campaign.

Based on those exceptional performances, Cameroonian authorities had projected producer prices ranging between CFA3,200 and CFA5,400 per kilogram at the launch of the 2025/2026 campaign.

Actual market conditions, however, have proved much less favorable.

According to commodity market analysts, the gap between official projections and actual farmgate prices is mainly explained by expectations of higher global production.

The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) expects a recovery in global supply following the 2024/2025 campaign after three consecutive seasons marked by production deficits.

Market observers believe the anticipated surplus should continue to weigh on cocoa prices both internationally and in producing countries such as Cameroon.

Source: Sbbc

Cameroon’s new management team at the Cameroon Electricity Company (Socadel), installed on May 5, 2026 in Yaoundé, officially takes office with an immediate mandate: intensify the fight against electricity fraud and help restore a power sector facing deep structural difficulties.

The directive was issued by Minister of Water and Energy Gaston Eloundou Essomba during the launch of the new public operator, which is expected to take over from Eneo as part of the government’s broader renationalization and restructuring of the electricity sector.

At the head of the company, Oumarou Hamandjoda inherits a highly sensitive challenge involving technical, financial, and social issues.

For authorities, electricity fraud ranks among the most urgent priorities.

The minister said several actions had already been identified for the first 100 days of the new management team, highlighting the continuation of operations targeting electricity theft in order to improve sector revenues.

The priority forms part of a nationwide campaign launched in March 2026.

The government describes fraud as a major source of commercial losses, with annual revenue shortfalls estimated at more than CFA60 billion.

Authorities also link these practices to network deterioration and safety risks associated with illegal connections and meter tampering.

The fight against fraud, however, does not fully capture the broader difficulties facing Cameroon’s electricity sector.

The government justified the public takeover of Eneo as part of a wider restructuring effort aimed at correcting longstanding operational failures and restoring service quality.

Socadel’s new leadership will therefore be judged not only on its ability to reduce commercial losses, but also on concrete improvements in electricity supply and customer relations.

Source: Business in Cameroon