From Pure Milk To Mushroom Wine: Innovation Steals The Show In PROMOTE 2026's Agro-processing Section

The grounds of the Yaoundé Conference Centre buzzed with intense commercial activity today June 16, 2026 as the 10th PROMOTE International Exhibition for Enterprises entered its fifth day. Running from June 12–21, 2026, the cross-sector trade fair has become a vibrant mirror of Cameroon's burgeoning agribusiness ecosystem. 

Platform For Market Validation 
Our focus today focus shifted squarely onto the agro-processing pavilion, where local entrepreneurs from the Adamawa, South West, South, West Regions … are turning raw agricultural products into high-value, organic, and therapeutic commodities. For many of these regional Small and Medium-size Enterprises, SMEs, PROMOTE 2026 has provided an unprecedented platform for market validation. With several exhibitors reporting that they are already running out of stock due to high local patronage.

100% Pure Dairy 
In a market saturated with imported milk powders, Walde Kossam from Ngaoundéré in Adamawa Region made a definitive statement on food purity. Aminatou Mahamadou, representing the brand, explained that the primary differentiator for their signature product, Kossam Welly (meaning "good yogurt" in the Fulani language), is its absolute natural composition.

Natural Sugar, No Acidity 
"The difference for us is that Kossam Welly is made from 100% pure cow's milk," Mahamadou said. "There is no artificial milk added. It has a light, natural sugar and no acidity." The enterprise manages the entire value chain from milking and pasteurization to fermentation. To cater to diverse consumer segments, the natural yogurt is packaged and priced accessibly: 250 ml for 500 FCFA, 330 ml for 750 FCFA, and 1 liter bottles for 1,500 FCFA
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The “Diamond Of Mbouda” 
Upcycling agricultural waste emerged as a dominant theme in the West Region’s exhibitions. Madame Mbou, promoter of Établissement Mbou et Associés based in Mbouda, Bamboutos Division, detailed how systemic post-harvest losses inspired a highly lucrative cosmetic and therapeutic enterprise.
"We process avocados into avocado oil because we noticed there was too much waste. During avocado season, they fall and rot," Madame Mbou noted. By extracting oil from these fruits, her company has fundamentally altered the local economy, turning the fruit into what she calls "the diamond of Mbouda." 

Long-lasting Grafted Avocados 
High-quality, grafted avocados are now highly sought after, with baskets fetching between 30,000 and 60,000 FCFA on-site, driven heavily by cross-border buyers from Chad, Gabon, Sudan, and Kenya who transport the hardy, long-lasting grafted varieties by truck on month-long journeys.
Mbou et Associés retails its cold-extracted avocado oil - lauded for reducing cardiovascular risks and regenerating red blood cells - at 25,000 FCFA per liter. The firm also showcases cold-extracted soybean and sunflower oils, as well as exfoliating avocado soaps (500–1,000 FCFA). And specialized anti-inflammatory massage balms used to treat rheumatism and stroke recovery patients.

Completely Sold Out!
In the South West Region, Binda Akum Moses, Coordinator of Pyramid Farms Transformers based in Bakingili, Limbe, Fako Division, echoed this shift toward professionalizing local processing. Cultivating their own palm plantations, the group has scaled up to clean, mechanized bottling of premium palm oil to replace crude, manual extraction methods.
Moses revealed a stunning surge in demand at the fair: "Surprisingly, I am running out of stock. I have asked my workers in the South West Region to send me more goods." Out of a 250-liter drum brought to Yaoundé, a single buyer from Bangangté instantly purchased 100 liters.
Pyramid Farms retails its palm oil at a competitive average rate of 800 FCFA per liter. Offering 1L (800 Francs), 5L (4,000 Francs), and 10L (8,000 Francs) jerry cans. The enterprise plans to expand into livestock feed production from maize and launch a coconut oil processing line by next year. While actively seeking capital to transition from local machinery to high-capacity industrial mills.

Nature’s Pharmacy 
A significant portion of the agroprocessing pavilion has been claimed by wellness and preventative healthcare products derived entirely from native forest plants. From Lokoundje in the Ocean Division of the South Region, Madame Ngo Soh Ekoue Clementine, the 65-year-old Board Chair of Etablissement Mathys, brought an array of herbal teas, certified organic honey (2,000 FCFA). And roasted cocoa beans - marketed as an office worker's natural rejuvenating snack.

MINEPAT Push
Sponsored by the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, MINEPAT after a rigorous on-site factory inspection, Madame Clementine’s standout product is a specialized prostate preventative tea designed to clean the urinary tract for men over 40. Her exhibition also features a year-long curative tea for arthrosis and rheumatism. A plant-based remedy for hemorrhoids, and a highly popular aphrodisiac formulated from three distinct plant roots.
"It’s a Colonel who told me, 'Mama Clementine, you have come to give me back my stripes... I have taken back my reign at home,'" she shared, adding that her current objective at PROMOTE is to network with investors to upgrade her Lagos-imported grinder and Chinese-imported dehydrator to industrial capacities.

Natural Regulator, Purifier
Similarly, Mr. Mbo Francis representing the GIC Dames Capables de Mengong, Ebolowa, South Region, introduced "Mondimzom," a therapeutic tea manufactured from Ozom - small village eggplants. Retailing at 3,500 FCFA for a pack of 15 bags, Mondimzom is marketed as a powerful natural regulator and purifier that helps stabilize blood pressure, counter diabetes, and shield against prostate-related cancers.

Dried Mushrooms, Herbal Teas
From Dschang in Menoua Division of the West Region, Mme Dongmo Therese epouse Tonfack, President of the SCOOPS EMA Cooperative, pushed the boundaries of processing by showcasing value-added mushroom products. Alongside dried mushrooms (1,000 to 5,000 FCFA) and mushroom herbal teas, the cooperative turned heads with its proprietary mushroom wine. Which is available in sweet white and dry red varieties for 3,000 FCFA a bottle, alongside locally harvested eucalyptus honey and soursop tea.

Value-Added Cocoa, Gourmet Beverages
Ebolowa’s strong presence at the fair was further solidified by its premium beverage and confectionery innovators. Tayem Lamde Imelda, Production Manager at Etichoco, detailed her company's efforts to ensure Cameroonians consume pure, locally processed cocoa rather than exporting raw beans. Etichoco’s portfolio features: 70% dark chocolate bars with high-concentration bars tailored for the elderly; 60% dark chocolate bars infused with locally sourced ginger powder. And 42% dark milk chocolate bars and chocolate spreads tailored for mainstream snackers.

Three-tier Juices 
Simultaneously, Mboule Megan, a Master’s degree 1 student in Food Industry Sciences representing Tandem, showcased a dual line of "Chocolachaud" cocoa products and "Solo Juis" natural juices. Retailing 330 ml bottles for 1,000 FCFA, Tandem segments its juices into three distinct profiles: Dietary (zero added water, sugar, or preservatives, including Pineapple-Apple-Beetroot); Alcoholic (infused with 3% rum), and Gourmet (traditional formulas like "Bissap Lacté" and "Baobab Lacté" utilizing liquid milk). The youth-led company also leverages the fair to market its specialized mobile cocktail bar service for corporate and private events.

Digital Integration, Climate Smart Agriculture
Agribusiness at PROMOTE 2026 is not merely mechanical; it is increasingly digital. Bamboye Hans, the Assistant Head of Delegation for Carbon Finance at the Union Farms of Africa based in Buea, South West Region, introduced an eco-friendly organic bio-fertilizer designed to regenerate depleted soils. Packed with active microbes, a single 10,000 FCFA promotional piece can treat an entire hectare of farmland when diluted properly (10 ml of solution per watering can).

Detecting Crop Type, Health 
More remarkably, the Union Farms team unveiled a proprietary mobile application engineered to scan crops in the field. Upon scanning, the app instantly provides the plant's common and scientific names, a brief botanical description, and a real-time health diagnostic report. If pathology is detected, the app automatically generates optimal organic solutions to cure the crop.
"Our corporation ensures food and nutrition security, eliminates poverty, and drives sustainable agriculture," Hans stated. Noting that their current 'Carbon Finance' initiative actively incentivizes Cameroonian smallholders to plant carbon-sequestering crops like sorghum, coffee, and cocoa.

Second Generation Agriculture On Course 
As PROMOTE 2026 crosses its midway point, the agro-processing pavilion stands as definitive proof that Cameroon's second-generation agriculture policy is bearing fruit. By transforming raw regional harvests into certified, high-value tech-driven commodities, these enterprises are proving that the future of African economic independence...