• Cameroon banana exports jump 36% to 27,674 tons in January
• Growth driven by French group subsidiaries PHP and CDBM
• Compagnie Fruitière dominance to exceed 90% after Boh acquisition

Cameroon’s banana exports rose sharply in January 2026, according to data from the country’s banana industry association, Assobacam. Exports reached 27,674 metric tons, up 7,324 tons, or 36%, from the same month a year earlier.

The increase comes as three operators remain active in Cameroon following the exit of Boh Plantations PLC from the export registry in September 2025. The only privately owned Cameroonian operator in the sector, Boh Plantations has since sold its assets to Compagnie Fruitière de Marseille, further strengthening the French group’s position in the local market.

Growth in January was driven mainly by the two local subsidiaries of the French agro-industrial group: Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP) and Compagnie des Bananes de Mondoni (CDBM). PHP exported 20,037 metric tons in January 2026, up from 14,695 tons a year earlier, a 36.4% increase.

CDBM, which entered the market less than three years earlier, more than doubled its exports. Shipments rose to 3,406 metric tons in January 2026 from 1,664 tons a year earlier, a 104.7% increase.

The Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), the country’s second-largest employer after the public administration and now the only nationally owned operator in the banana sector, reported more modest growth. It exported 4,231 metric tons in January 2026, up 240 tons, or 6%, from 3,991 tons a year earlier.

Compagnie Fruitière accounts for 70%-80% of Cameroon’s banana exports annually through PHP and CDBM. That share is expected to exceed 90% in 2026 following the acquisition of Boh Plantations’ assets.

Brice R. Mbodiam, with Business in Cameroon