Monitoring and Evaluation of Cocoa Plant Production Potential in SODECAO Nurseries for the 2024-2025 farming season.

A Strategic Initiative to enhance Cocoa Production in Cameroon

From March 17 to 24, 2025, SODECAO launched a monitoring and evaluation mission to assess the production potential of cocoa plants in its 103 active nurseries. Under the supervision of the General Manager, this initiative brought together teams from the Cocoa Support Directorate (DAC), General Management, and the Directorate of Administrative and Financial Affairs (DAAF), mobilized across five regions of the country: Centre, Littoral, East, South, and Southwest.

This initiative aims to optimize cocoa production, a key source of foreign exchange for the Cameroonian economy. By inspecting the nurseries, the goal was to ensure that the produced plants comply with the directives outlined in the General Manager's Instruction Note dated September 29, 2024, as well as the standards set by the Official Technical Regulations (RTO) of MINADER. To this end, the teams involved focused on the implementation of good agricultural practices in the visited nurseries.

Aware of the significant increase in cocoa prices, which currently stand at 5,000 CFA francs per kilogram in Cameroon, SODECAO is committed to meeting the growing demand from cocoa producers by ensuring the availability of five million cocoa plants for the current agricultural season.

Preliminary results from this monitoring and evaluation mission indicate that the nurseries have been successfully established in the external units. The inspected plants show impressive vigour, owing to the diligent efforts of the field staff. Moreover, enhanced collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) and SODECAO has been noted, creating a beneficial synergy for all stakeholders, especially for the producers.

In a context where cocoa transcends being merely an agricultural product, the commitment of all stakeholders is vital. This collective responsibility will enhance Cameroon’s standing in the international market and ensure the long-term sustainability of this iconic crop for future generations.

Le cacao représente un levier stratégique pour le développement économique du Cameroun. Il est donc impératif que des mesures concrètes soient mises en œuvre pour garantir le respect du calendrier agricole afin d’atteindre les objectifs fixés par la Stratégie Nationale de Développement (SND30), qui vise une production de 640 000 tonnes de cacao en 2030. Ainsi, le Cameroun peut légitimement aspirer à devenir l’un des leaders de premier plan au niveau mondial de ce secteur.

Investing in cocoa is investing in the country’s economic future. Through collective commitment and coordinated efforts, Cameroon will be able to enhance the prosperity of its producers and also improve the well-being of rural communities. In this regard, the Director General of SODECAO is actively working to ensure that SODECAO remains a key player in the cocoa sector. His leadership and strategic initiatives are vital for establishing SODECAO as a key leader in this sector, both in Cameroon and globally.

By NJK