Cameroon: Extreme Weather Threatens Hopes of Becoming a Cocoa Giant

Buea, Cameroon — "The rains now come in any order," says one farmer. "I am almost giving up cocoa farming"

Cameroon's plan to more than double cocoa production by 2020, moving the country up the global ranks of producers and improving incomes for its farmers, is under increasing threat from extreme weather, according to the state support company for growers.

Heavy rains have slowed expected output and rattled farmers, with many switching to food crop production to make a more reliable living.

"The rains have been so severe in recent times, coming even when least expected, generating production worries for both farmers and the government," said Jerome Mvondo, director-general of the Cameroon Cocoa Development Corporation, at an event in Buea, the capital of the country's Southwest region and its main cocoa-producing zone.

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