Cameroon Sees Record Corn Imports in 2023, Marking a Five-Year High
2024-04-11
Cameroon's corn imports surged by 229% in 2023, reaching a five-year high of 39,991.3 tons, following a significant drop of 64.4% in 2022. According to the 2023 Cameroon Foreign Trade Report released by the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the country imported 27,835 more tons compared to the previous year's 12,156.2 tons, amounting to an expenditure of 7.8 billion CFA francs.
1. Local Production Dynamics: The increase in imports aligns with the launch of a corn processing plant by Cameroon Food Company (CFC), a subsidiary of Société Anonyme des Beverages du Cameroun (SABC), in November 2021. This facility produces 30,000 tons of cornmeal annually for beer production, meeting the local demand and reducing dependency on imports.
2. Agricultural Support: To secure raw materials, CFC supports 30,000 to 40,000 farmers in cooperatives, cultivating around 12,000 hectares of corn fields. Additionally, CFC sources approximately 10,000 tons of corn from Maïscam annually.
Despite these local efforts, the sharp increase in imports suggests a slowdown in production from Maïscam or CFC-supported cooperatives, necessitating additional imports to meet SABC's production needs. Furthermore, Cameroon's poultry industry, where 80% of animal feed comprises corn, has significantly boosted its corn procurement, contributing to the surge in imports.
This rise in corn imports underscores the growing demand within the country, driven by both industrial and agricultural sectors, and highlights the critical role of corn in Cameroon's economy.
For more detailed insights and data, read the full report from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Factors Driving the Increase
1. Local Production Dynamics: The increase in imports aligns with the launch of a corn processing plant by Cameroon Food Company (CFC), a subsidiary of Société Anonyme des Beverages du Cameroun (SABC), in November 2021. This facility produces 30,000 tons of cornmeal annually for beer production, meeting the local demand and reducing dependency on imports.
2. Agricultural Support: To secure raw materials, CFC supports 30,000 to 40,000 farmers in cooperatives, cultivating around 12,000 hectares of corn fields. Additionally, CFC sources approximately 10,000 tons of corn from Maïscam annually.
Market Implications
Despite these local efforts, the sharp increase in imports suggests a slowdown in production from Maïscam or CFC-supported cooperatives, necessitating additional imports to meet SABC's production needs. Furthermore, Cameroon's poultry industry, where 80% of animal feed comprises corn, has significantly boosted its corn procurement, contributing to the surge in imports.
This rise in corn imports underscores the growing demand within the country, driven by both industrial and agricultural sectors, and highlights the critical role of corn in Cameroon's economy.
For more detailed insights and data, read the full report from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).