A six-month study in some cocoa producing areas in the country carried out by the National Cocoa Academy has revealed that Cameroon’s dream of hitting 600,000 tons of quality cocoa between 2020 to 2025 is only achievable if farmers receive adequate training. In effect, the preliminary findings were presented to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Essimi Menye, on July 1, 2015 in Yaounde by a team of experts from the National Cocoa Academy led by its National Coordinator, Dieudonné Abolo.
The results confirmed that the cocoa sector is staggering, with the challenge of inadequate training, not so-satisfactory follow-up and the persisting poor maintenance of existing cocoa nurseries, farms and equipment. Cocoa production is weak, oscillating between 250 and 300 kilogrammes per hectare. The situation is more complex with the battle said to be ruthless in the world market where only the best quality cocoa beans are on high demand.