Robusta coffee exports from Cameroon rose to 14,094 tonnes by end-July since the start of the 2013/14 season on December 1, versus 12,495 tonnes for the same period of the previous season, data from the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCCB) showed.

Cameroon shipped 3,625 tonnes of robusta in July, up from 2,382 tonnes in June. That was sharply higher than the 1,800 tonnes in July 2013.

The NCCB said Cameroon exported 391 tonnes of arabica coffee in July, up from 379 tonnes in June and 384 tonnes for the same month a year ago. The arabica coffee season runs from October 1 to September 30.

July's shipment brought total arabica exports for the season to 1,653 tonnes, down from 2,182 tonnes a year ago.

The North-West Cooperative Association (NWCA) and the Union Centrale des Societes Cooperatives Agricoles de l'Ouest (UCCAO) blamed this drop on illegal exports to neighbouring Nigeria where farmers are paid higher prices.