Cameroon cocoa exports up 24 pct y/y in April

Younde, (Capital Markets in Africa):- Cameroon cocoa exports jumped 24 percent to 181,893 tonnes year-on-year by end-April since the start of the 2014/15 season on Aug. 1, data from the sector’s regulator showed on Tuesday.

Statistics from the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCCB) showed that Africa’s fourth biggest grower shipped 4,384 tonnes of cocoa beans in April, down from 10,810 tonnes in March.

But exports rose slightly, compared with 3,043 tonnes exported during the same month a year ago.

Ten firms exported cocoa during the month, with Olam Cam, a unit of Singapore’s Olam topping the chart with 1,818 tonnes, followed by Telcar Cocoa Ltd with 1,053 tonnes and Cameroon Marketing Commodities (CAMACO) with 752 tonnes.

Cameroon cocoa season runs from August 1 to July 31, with the main harvest period from October to January/February and the light crop harvest period from April/May to June/July.

Output of the main cash crop from the central African nation hit a record of 240,000 tonnes in the 2010/11 season but output has been hit by prolonged dry season, pests attacks and diseases these past seasons.

Output stood at 209,905 tonnes in 2013/14 season.

Source: Reuters Africa Online Business News