Cameroon’s Plantain Industry Targets CFAF150 Billion Through BVMAC
Cameroon’s plantain industry is looking to the regional capital market for a major financing push, with the Filière Banane-Plantain du Cameroun (FBPC) targeting CFAF150 billion to develop a new commercial company, Banane-Plantain S.A.
The initiative aims to connect plantain producers more directly with markets, strengthen commercialisation and create a more structured agricultural value chain.
But while the figure has attracted attention, the project remains at a preparatory stage. The CFAF150 billion is a fundraising target, not capital already raised, and discussions with the Bourse des Valeurs Mobilières de l’Afrique Centrale (BVMAC) are still focused on developing the proposed structure.
A New Financing Model for Cameroon’s Plantain Sector
The proposed initiative is being driven by the FBPC under the leadership of its national president, Samuel Tony Obam Bikoué.
At the centre of the plan is Banane-Plantain S.A., a commercial structure that would seek to mobilise capital through the Central African regional financial market.
The proposed financing model involves 300 million shares valued at CFAF500 each, resulting in the targeted CFAF150 billion capitalisation. However, public reporting has contained conflicting figures about the number of shares, making the final structure subject to further clarification as the project develops.
Under the structure presented by the FBPC, plantain producers would hold 25% of the capital, while the remaining 75% could be opened to individual investors, the Cameroonian diaspora, CEMAC states, banks and institutional investors.
If implemented, the model would represent an attempt to move beyond traditional agricultural financing by bringing farmers and the capital market into the same investment structure.
What Banane-Plantain S.A. Would Do
The proposed company would not simply operate as another plantation.
According to the project's promoters, Banane-Plantain S.A. would enter into contractual arrangements with producers to purchase their plantain production and commercialise it.
The company is expected to target several markets, including:
The domestic Cameroonian market
Export markets
Industrial processors
Other commercial buyers across the region
This approach could address one of the persistent challenges facing agricultural producers: the gap between production and reliable market access.
For farmers, having an organised commercial buyer could potentially provide greater visibility over demand and reduce some of the uncertainty surrounding the sale of harvested crops.
For processors and distributors, a more structured supply chain could make it easier to source plantain at scale.
From Farming to a Full Agribusiness Value Chain
The proposed BVMAC initiative comes at a time when Cameroon is increasingly looking to transform agriculture from predominantly primary production into more commercially organised value chains.
Plantain already plays a significant role in the country's agricultural economy.
According to figures cited by Business in Cameroon from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, plantain accounts for about 16% of farmers' income and 4.3% of Cameroon’s agricultural GDP. Annual production is estimated at more than six million tonnes, while the government has set a target of 10 million tonnes by 2030.
Those figures help explain why stakeholders are looking at ways to bring more investment into the sector.
The opportunity is not limited to growing the crop.
It extends across:
Seed and planting material production
Plantation development
Agricultural equipment
Stora
