Rising cocoa prices driven by global production shortfalls have led to increased thefts of the commodity in farms in Cameroon, farmers and authorities say, forcing farmers to turn to machete-armed vigilantes, and amulets to stop thieves.
The surge in prices in Cameroon, attributed to adverse weather conditions and plant diseases in top growers Ivory Coast and Ghana.
While farmers in Ivory Coast and Ghana sell their beans at a fixed farmgate price regulated by authorities, farmers in Cameroon, where the market is liberalized, get a higher market-related price backed by global prices.
According to Reuters, Data from Cameroon’s cocoa regulator, the National Cocoa and Coffee Board, show that prices have sometimes tripled from 1,500 francs CFA ($2.56) per kg, the floor price at the start of the 2023/24 season.
This has made cocoa a lucrative target for thieves, causing concern among farmers in the country’s cocoa production basins.
Pascal Mani, who farms seven hectares in Endaba village near the town of Ntui in central Cameroon, patrols his farm armed with a machete every day intermittently and before going to bed.
READ MORE: Akwa Ibom Governor Eno Names Daughter as Acting First Lady
“In the night, when I hear an unusual sound, I wake up,” Mani said, adding that fear of thieves visiting his farm keeps him and other farmers awake most nights.
To tackle the problem, some farm communities have formed vigilante groups armed with whistles, reflective jackets, bows and arrows, machetes and spears to keep watch and send out alerts.
However, administrative authorities in some areas have banned the sale of non-dried cocoa, a move Marriette Embolo, who farms 14 hectares in the area, hopes to see extended across the country.
Follow the Parallel Facts channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
