Cameroon's August-December cocoa exports fell 20 percent year-on-year to 97,995 tonnes, the Cocoa and Coffee Interprofessional Board (CCIB) said on Thursday, after heavy rains delayed the flow of beans from the bush.
Cameroon's cocoa season runs from August to July, with the peak harvest period normally from November to January. Prolonged heavy rains late last year have slowed the harvesting and drying process, delaying the arrival of beans to ports.
"The slight increase in December was because we entered the heart of the season," said CCIB Operations Chief, Andre Marie Lema. "Most of our farmers depend on sunlight to dry their beans. Now that the dry season is fully on we can expect a significant increase in exports for the month of January."
Cameroon's total output for the 2006/2007 season was 179,243 tonnes, up from 163,821 tonnes in 2005/2006. By December 2006, 122,767 tonnes of beans had already arrived at ports. South-West province, next to Nigeria, produces half of the national output. It is followed by Centre province with 30 percent, the South with 15 percent and the East with 5 percent.
Despite, the slow start to the 2007/2008 campaign, operators believe that output will eventually overtake the previous year's. Some believe Cameroon could attain its 2015 annual export target of 200,000 tonnes as soon as 2009.