Cameroon’s richest woman Kate Fotso’s Telcar Cocoa faces weakest cocoa prices in 3 years

Cameroon’s cocoa industry is facing its weakest phase in three years, weighing heavily on key market players, including Telcar Cocoa, a leading cocoa trading company owned by the country’s richest woman, Kate Kanyi-Tometi Fotso, whose trading empire has long dominated the nation’s export landscape.

This decline comes as farmgate prices fall below CFA1,500 ($2.69) per kilogram, placing pressure on exporters including Telcar Cocoa.

Farmgate prices across major production zones have remained subdued, slipping below CFA1,500 ($2.69) per kilogram with just months left before the season ends in July. Data from the Commodity Information System (SIF) showed beans trading between CFA1,300 ($2.33) and CFA1,450 ($2.6), marking the weakest pricing cycle in three seasons.

Reversal from cocoa boom

The current downturn represents a sharp reversal from the recent cocoa boom. In the previous campaign, farmers earned as much as CFA5,400 ($9.7) per kilogram, while prices climbed to nearly CFA6,000 ($10.77) during the 2023–2024 season, fueled by global supply shortages and robust demand.

At the start of the 2025–2026 season, authorities projected farmgate prices between CFA3,200 ($5.74) and CFA5,400 ($9.7), banking on sustained bullish momentum. Those expectations have since unraveled, leaving producers and exporters exposed to a significantly weaker market environment.

Global supply shift pressures market

This decline is attributed to a changing global cocoa balance, with the International Cocoa Organization projecting a rise in global production following three consecutive years of supply deficits.

The anticipated surplus has begun to exert downward pressure on international prices, with ripple effects across producing nations such as Cameroon. For major exporters like Telcar Cocoa, closely associated with Fotso, the weaker pricing environment could compress margins and intensify competition for premium beans.

Pressure mounts on Fotso’s cocoa empire

Fotso, widely regarded as Cameroon’s richest woman, built her reputation through decades of leadership at Telcar Cocoa, the country’s leading exporter for more than 30 years. The company’s performance is often seen as a bellwether for the broader health of Cameroon’s cocoa sector.

The current slump underscores the volatility of commodity-driven economies, where shifts in global supply and demand can swiftly erode local gains. As the season approaches its close, stakeholders, from smallholder farmers to export giants, will be closely watching whether prices stabilize or decline further.