尽管面临原材料短缺困境，喀麦隆棕榈油精炼产业仍取得积极发展

Core Insights - The palm oil refining industry in Cameroon is facing significant structural challenges despite ongoing development efforts [2] - The industry is experiencing a capacity expansion with new refineries set to increase total capacity from 3,500 tons to 5,000 tons per day by 2026 [2] - A critical issue is the shortage of raw materials, with most factories operating at less than 50% capacity due to insufficient palm oil supply [2] Industry Overview - The new Fotso Jean II refinery in Douala is set to begin operations with a daily capacity of 500 tons [2] - Several private projects, including the New Cameroon Refinery (NRC) and Cameroon Refining Company (Sorac), are actively progressing [2] - The total number of refineries in Cameroon is expected to reach 15 by 2026 [2] Supply Chain Challenges - The USDA estimates that Cameroon’s palm oil production will only reach 465,000 tons by 2025, while annual demand is close to 2 million tons, creating a significant supply gap [2] - The challenges in upstream production include aging palm plantations, difficulties in land acquisition, and limited financing options [2] - Smallholder farmers have an average yield of only 0.9-1.5 tons per hectare, which is significantly below international standards [2] Recommendations for Improvement - Experts suggest that the industry cannot achieve sustainable profitability without a solid agricultural foundation [2] - Recommendations include promoting high-yield varieties and establishing contract farming models to strengthen the industry’s base [2] Market Demand - Despite the challenges, investment in the industry is responding to substantial domestic and regional market demand driven by population growth, urbanization, and downstream processing development [3] - The construction boom of refineries reflects Cameroon's vision to become a regional processing hub, although this vision depends on fundamental improvements in the domestic raw material supply system [3]