• Fodecc plans CFA4 billion in subsidies for cocoa and coffee producers

• Funds aim to boost yields and address pests and planting constraints

• Support will be channeled through the producer grant scheme launched in 2021

Cameroon’s Cocoa and Coffee Development Fund (Fodecc) plans to distribute CFA4 billion (about $7.2 million) in subsidies to producers in 2026, according to an announcement made during the official launch of the 2025–2026 coffee season held on January 16, 2026, in Baditoum, in the East region.

According to Fodecc administrator Samuel Donatien Nengue, the funds are intended to support the start of the season, particularly by helping farmers cope with pest pressure and shortages of planting material, with the aim of improving yields. He added that the remaining balance of 2025 subsidies will be disbursed “within about a week,” while payments under the 2026 program are expected to begin “around April.”

Disbursements will be made through the “Producer Window,” a mechanism introduced in 2021. It allows cocoa and coffee farmers across the country’s production basins to receive government subsidies directly, either as mass support or through customized packages.

The scheme requires a contribution from producers. Farmers must register with Fodecc and deposit 60% of the investment amount with a financial institution. In return, they receive a subsidy covering 30% to 40% of the investment, provided in the form of purchase vouchers. These vouchers can be used to acquire seedlings, agricultural inputs, crop protection products, farming equipment and machinery, as well as production-support infrastructure.

According to Mr. Nengue, nearly 60,000 producers have already benefited from the subsidies, out of 360,000 registered in Fodecc’s database. The stated objective is to reach 500,000 registered producers by December 2026, which would require faster enrollment and greater processing capacity under the scheme.

The coffee season also reflects an improvement in marketed production, which rose from 10,592 tons to 11,637 tons between the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 seasons, an increase of 9.86%. On the income side, Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana said farmgate prices increased from CFA2,375 to CFA2,854 per kg for arabica, up 20.16%, and from CFA1,500 to CFA1,959 per kg for robusta, up 30.6%.

In 2025, Fodecc said it distributed nearly CFA10.5 billion in subsidies to cocoa and coffee producers through the Producer Window. The mechanism aims to inject CFA50 billion into the two sectors over five years, in line with the government’s policy to double cocoa and coffee production by 2030.

Frédéric Nonos, Business in Cameroon