Citrus fruit market in Central African Republic

Earlier Report Observations

Citrus fruit production in the Central African Republic began a steady increase from 2018, supported by the government's signing of a health equipment grant agreement with China, which bolstered general economic conditions, and the launch of a modern small hydropower plant project aimed at improving energy access for agricultural and agri-food industries. This contributed to production rising from 84,993 t in 2018 to 86,761 t by 2020.

The market continued to expand in 2021, with production reaching 88,104 t, aided by the finalization of a new finance law that set petroleum product price structures—reducing logistics and production costs—alongside government efforts to revitalize investment support frameworks, encouraging new entrants into the agricultural sector. Despite the activation of the PRÉPAS steering committee and the launch of the FIDA-funded PREVES project in 2022 to revive staple crop and livestock production, overall output dipped slightly to 86,958 t that year.

Production recovered to 87,274 t in 2023. Recent developments include enhanced access to credit for micro-projects through the Crédit Mutuel de Centrafrique and sensitization on sustainable forest resource governance, which may influence agricultural practices and support future market growth.

Production citrus fruit in Central African Republic

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of citrus fruit, 2017-2020

World map of production of citrus fruit, 2017-2020

Citrus fruit production in the Central African Republic has grown for the third year in a row. In 2020, the country produced 86 761 tonnes of citrus fruit, marking a slight increase of 0.9% from 2019. Over the period from 2017 to 2020, production rose by 3.1%, which translates to an average annual growth rate of 1.0%.

Annual dynamics of production in Central African Republic in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports citrus fruit from Central African Republic

Market reports indicate that there were no exports of citrus fruit from the Central African Republic between 2017 and 2020.

Imports citrus fruit to Central African Republic

Imports in kind, t

Citrus fruit imports into the Central African Republic have increased for the second consecutive year. In 2020, imports reached 279.6 tonnes, representing a sharp year-over-year rise of 25.1%. However, looking at the broader period from 2017 to 2020, imports actually decreased by 18.3%, with an average annual decline of 6.5%. The lowest import volume was recorded in 2018 at 164.8 tonnes. The largest year-over-year drop occurred in 2018, with a decrease of 51.9%, while the biggest increase was seen in 2019, at 35.6%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Central African Republic in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Cameroon and France were the dominant sources for citrus fruit imports into the Central African Republic, together accounting for 81.6% of total import flows. All other countries made up the remaining share.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Central African Republic in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

The market for citrus fruit imports in value terms showed noticeable fluctuations during this period. Import values reached their lowest point in 2018 at 214.0 thousand US dollars and peaked in 2020 at 676.8 thousand US dollars, representing a 3.2-fold increase between these years. In 2020, the value of cross-border citrus fruit shipments into the Central African Republic was 102.4% higher than in the previous year. The largest year-over-year decline was recorded in 2018, with a drop of 37.1%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Central African Republic in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, the structure of citrus fruit imports by value was heavily concentrated on Cameroon, which accounted for 73.7% of total import flows. Other trading partners contributed the remainder.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Central African Republic in value, 2017-2020