Over 42,000 producers across various production basins in Cameroon will benefit from this initiative.The cocoa quality bonus was established by the Cameroonian government to limit the impact of the crisis that occurred on the international market during the 2016-2017 cocoa season. Funded through a levy of 5 CFA francs on the share of export duties allocated to the Cocoa-Coffee Sector Development Fund ,this bonus rewards cocoa farmers producing Grade I beans.In addition to establishing post-harvest cocoa processing centers of excellence, which enable the production of high-quality or "zero-defect" beans, the quality bonus is one of the measures taken by Cameroonian authorities to incentivize local cocoa farmers to produce better. This government incentive complements initiatives already taken by some exporters, who years ago had launched efforts to improve the quality of Cameroonian cocoa by promoting certified cocoa production.This is the case of Telcar Cocoa,As part of its certified cocoa farming promotion program in Cameroon, the exporter trained several thousand farmers and distributed a total of 3.7 billion CFA francs in quality bonuses before the 2018-2019 season. However, despite years of incentives to improve the quality of Cameroonian cocoa beans, the results are still mixed. Out of a total volume of 193,430 tons of cocoa submitted for quality control during the 2024-2025 season, which ended on July 15, 2025, 78% of the beans were exported as Grade 2 - average quality - compared to only 8% as Grade I, according to the National Cocoa and Coffee Board.During the 2016-2017 season, data from the same institution revealed that 95% of exported shipments were Grade 2. Over the past decade, there have been improvements, but they remain limited. The overwhelming dominance of Grade 2 beans in Cameroonian exports often results in discounts of up to 200 CFA francs per kilogram of Cameroonian cocoa on the international market, according to estimates by the Ministry of Commerce. This represents a significant loss of revenue for the local industry

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