Yaoundé — June 1, 2026 — Cameroon is intensifying efforts to attract private investment into its dairy sector, aiming to reduce the country’s 35 billion CFA franc ($58 million) annual milk import bill. Despite producing 180,000 tonnes of milk in 2024, local output covers less than a third of national demand, leaving a shortfall of nearly 450,000 tonnes filled by imports of powder, cream, and butter.
Officials see opportunity in this gap. With urban consumption rising and the state stepping back from direct production, investors who can organize collection, cold storage, and processing stand to tap into a market Cameroon has never met domestically.
The drive gained momentum in September 2025 when Livestock Minister Taïga signed a financing partnership with Bange Bank Cameroun, offering 35 publicly built collection centers and mini‑dairies to private operators under concession. Import duties on equipment have been waived since 2020, and a 305.7 billion CFA franc ($500 million) roadmap through 2035 — developed with GIZ — outlines investments in genetics, feed, housing, processing, and governance.
To boost yields, Cameroon imported 495 Montbéliarde cows from France between 2020 and 2023 under a World Bank program. The breed produces 25–30 liters of milk daily, compared to just 3–5 liters from local Goudali cattle. Processing capacity is also expanding, with Waldé Kossam SA inaugurating the country’s first ultra‑high‑temperature milk plant near Ngaoundéré, raising daily output from 1,500 to nearly 5,000 liters.
Yet challenges remain. High feed costs, tick‑borne diseases, shrinking pasture, and limited mechanization keep yields low, while imported sachets often undercut fresh local milk on price. Demand estimates vary widely, with official figures ranging from 300,000 to 630,000 tonnes, and the import bill cited between 35 billion and 75.6 billion CFA francs.
Cameroon is now looking to emulate Kenya, sub‑Saharan Africa’s largest milk producer at 5.5 million tonnes in 2025, as a benchmark. With World Milk Day marking the ambition, the question is whether private capital will step in to transform Cameroon’s dairy industry.
