According to Francis Aurélien Nzukou Djoughem, national coordinator of the project to promote the competitiveness of Cameroonian products, Cameroon must meet Japan's strict market requirements by offering chemical-free, high-quality cocoa. Currently, only a portion of the national production, namely cocoa from centers of excellence and grade 1 and 2, is eligible for export to Japan.This initiative is part of the PICS project, which covers the period 2024-2027.The Pics project is funded to the tune of 1.4 billion CFA francs by Japan. It is being implemented with the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Ministries of Trade and Agriculture and Rural Development. The project aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Cameroonian products internationally and foster strategic partnerships with Japanese chocolatiers.Cameroon's new target is a growing market in the transformation of cocoa, making it an attractive opportunity to establish a presence. According to data from Mordor Intelligence, a consulting and information firm, the Japanese chocolate market is estimated to be worth $4.71 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $5.11 billion by 2029, with a growth rate of 1.66% anticipated over the same period.In terms of its imports, according to the Statista website, Japan imported 29,000 tons of chocolate-based products in 2023, worth over 43 billion Japanese yen, equivalent to 176.7 billion CFA francs (US$290.7 million).Cameroon should diversify its list of clients, which included 26 importer clients from Europe, Asia, and America during the 2023-2024 cocoa campaign. This would also be an opportunity for the Cemac country to increase its export earnings

Christelle koambi