Cameroon

Cameroon is a major Central African cacao producer, generally ranked around fifth in the world, with national output that recently surpassed 300,000 tonnes a year. Cacao has been a leading cash crop since the colonial period and remains one of the country's principal agricultural exports, grown by several hundred thousand smallholders.

Production is concentrated in the Centre, South, Littoral and South-West regions, across a range of forest and foothill elevations. Cameroonian populations include Amelonado-derived material together with a substantial Trinitario-type hybrid component; the latter gives many Cameroonian beans their characteristically reddish-brown colour, an effect also influenced by post-harvest handling.

Distinctively, a large share of the crop is artificially dried over wood fires, which can impart a smoky character to the beans; sun-drying is also practised, particularly in the South-West. The typical profile is a strong, earthy cocoa with low acidity, sometimes carrying that smoky note. Most output is exported as bulk, though quality-improvement and certification efforts, supported by national research and variety trials, aim to raise the share of fine and traceable lots.