• Cameroon exported 42,000 tonnes of raw cotton in Q1 2025, generating CFA47 billion ($83.5 million), showing stable revenues despite a 2.4% volume increase.

• National cotton production is forecast at 350,100 tonnes in 2025, signaling recovery toward the 400,000-ton strategic target of Sodecoton.

• Climate variability remains a risk, with droughts and irregular rainfall costing the sector nearly CFA14 billion in 2024 in the Far North region.

Cameroon’s cotton exports remained steady in the first quarter of 2025 despite a slight increase in volumes, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The country shipped 42,000 tonnes of raw cotton, earning CFA47 billion ($83.5 million), compared with 41,000 tonnes generating the same revenue in Q1 2024.

The Central African States Bank (BEAC) projects national production will reach 350,100 tonnes in 2025, up from 340,000 tonnes in 2024. The growth reflects the ongoing recovery of the Société de Développement du Coton (Sodecoton), which produced over 330,000 tonnes in 2022, moving closer to its long-term goal of 400,000 tonnes annually.

The sector rebounded after a 2023 downturn, when production fell to 314,455 tonnes due to reduced cultivation areas. Exports in 2023 totaled 127,506 tonnes for CFA147.9 billion, representing declines of 14.7% in volume and 4.8% in value compared with 2022.

Stable Q1 2025 revenues highlight the sector’s resilience amid global market pressures and climatic challenges. Cotton production remains highly sensitive to rising temperatures, lower rainfall, and seasonal irregularities, which reduce yields and increase losses.

The National Observatory on Climate Change (ONACC) reports that the past three decades have seen declining rainfall, longer dry seasons, and more frequent extreme events such as droughts and floods. In 2024, climate shocks cost the cotton sector nearly CFA14 billion in the Far North alone, underscoring the vulnerability of a key pillar of Cameroon’s economy.

This article was initially published in French by Amina Malloum

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum