Industrial and export farming contracted 3.1% in 2025, erasing previous momentum despite overall agricultural value reaching CFA3.97 trillion.
Cameroon's agricultural sector experienced a significant slowdown in 2025, with overall growth dropping to 1.1% from 5.2% the previous year. This deceleration was primarily driven by a contraction in industrial and export agriculture, which declined by 3.1% after experiencing 9.5% growth in 2024. The National Institute of Statistics' 2025 National Accounts, released in August 2026, attribute this reversal to the performance of these specific sub-sectors.
Despite the contraction in production, agricultural export earnings saw an increase of 8.8% in 2025. This rise is attributed to higher prices for several key crops. The agricultural sector as a whole still contributed CFA3.97 trillion in value added, representing approximately 11.5% of Cameroon’s nominal GDP. In contrast to the export segment, food-crop agriculture demonstrated resilience, growing by 3.7% in 2025, an increase from 3.2% in the preceding year.
The sharp deterioration in the growth rate for industrial and export agriculture marks a significant shift from its previous performance. This segment had previously shown strong momentum, making its recent contraction a notable development for the national economy. The data, compiled by the National Institute of Statistics, highlights a divergence between export-oriented farming and domestic food production.
Why it mattersFarmers are affected by the contraction in industrial and export agriculture, which may impact their contracts and income, even as food-crop agriculture shows growth.
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