DESSERT BANANAS : CDC, CDBM and PHP drive Cameroonian exports down 45% in November 2025

(LVDE) – In November 2025, Cameroon recorded a sharp drop in its dessert banana exports, which fell from 27,007 tonnes a year earlier to 18,562 tonnes, according to Assobacam. The downturn affected nearly all producers, with the exception of CDBM. Amid industrial slowdowns, operational tensions and the prolonged withdrawal of Boh Plantations PLC, the sector is experiencing one of the most difficult months of its commercial year.

Dawn breaks over the plantations along the Atlantic coast, but the mood among dessert banana producers is far from the usual dynamism. At Assobacam’s offices, the figures released for November 2025 confirm a trend several companies had been dreading: Cameroonian exports have collapsed by nearly half, plunging from 27,007 tonnes in November 2024 to just 18,562 tonnes. This 45.5% decline highlights a simultaneous slowdown among the sector’s main players.

In the Haut-Penja plantations, teams at PHP—a subsidiary of the Compagnie fruitière de Marseille and the undisputed market leader—are also witnessing a marked slowdown. The group shipped 19,288 tonnes to Europe in November 2024; one year later, volumes have fallen to just 12,705 tonnes, a contraction of 51.8%. This drop is considered exceptional for a company accustomed to maintaining a strong industrial pace, even during periods of logistical strain.

In the South-West region, the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), the country’s second-largest employer, is not spared the gloom. Activity on the packing lines is running at reduced speed, and this is reflected in exports: 3,323 tonnes in November 2025 compared with 4,418 tonnes the previous year. A loss of 1,095 tonnes, or 32.9%, illustrating the multiple difficulties faced by the public company, still weakened by years of social and security disruptions.

The only bright spot in this bleak landscape is the Compagnie des bananes de Mondoni (CDBM), the second Cameroonian subsidiary of the Marseille-based group. With 2,534 tonnes shipped in November, it posted growth of 23.9% compared with the 1,927 tonnes exported in 2024. A notable increase, though insufficient to offset the massive declines recorded by other operators.

Adding to this challenging environment is the conspicuous disappearance of Boh Plantations PLC from export records for the third consecutive month. Since September 2025, no shipments have left its plantations, without any official explanation. Although modest in volume, the suspension of its activities further deepens the overall shortfall and fuels uncertainty across the sector.

For Cameroon, these figures are a reminder of the fragility of one of its agricultural pillars. Dessert bananas are indeed one of the country’s main sources of foreign revenue, with Europe as the primary market. The sector remains dominated by the Compagnie fruitière de Marseille, whose subsidiaries PHP and CDBM account for between 70% and 80% of national exports, while also providing technical support to local producers. However, the contraction observed in November highlights the limits of a sector heavily dependent on a handful of operators and highly sensitive to any slowdown.

As producers strive to pick up the pace before the end of the year, concern remains palpable throughout the industry. At a time when European demand remains strong, Cameroon will need to quickly regain its usual output levels in order to preserve its position in an increasingly competitive international market. Tressy Chouente