To boost production: Gov't hands 406 million FCFA to 4,758 cocoa farmers in SW.

The premiums were paid out to farmers on Thursday 28 August 2025 in Buea. The farmers came from all the cocoa producing communities in the region who sell their cocoa in Cameroon. 

The payment is part of a broader national initiative to distribute quality bonuses to cocoa farmers based on the quality of their produce, rewarding farmers who deliver top-grade beans and encouraging adherence to international quality standards. 

This initiative also supports farmers ahead of significant political events, reinforcing the government's commitment to rural economic development through agriculture.

Disbursing the money to farmers, the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, revealed that the cocoa and coffee sector in Cameroon recorded an income of 416 billion FCFA in purchases during the last season. 

In this light, he reassured farmers that unfair international prices would no longer be accepted while encouraging youth to embrace farming. 

The bonuses are part of a levy on exported high-quality cocoa by the government, which is redistributed to farmers to encourage improved production standards, as part of the government’s drive to increase cocoa farmers' incomes, while meeting global quality and sustainability standards.

Abwe Calvine Njume, one of the recipients, expressed his joy after receiving 100,000 FCFA from the Minister of Trade as his premium bonuses.  He explained that cocoa farmers are struggling with cocoa farming because of some diseases on the crops and lack of support from the government to fight them. 

He said the money will help him buy some chemicals necessary to fight blight and other diseases that can destroy crops or reduce yields. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3551 of Monday September 01, 2025