Branding Bananas

The Makossa Banana brand, introduced by CDC, is set to boost banana production in Cameroon and promote its products overseas.

“The Makossa banana is our brand name. I prefer to have Cameroon’s products in the European market with our label. We are working on a brand name to create an image,” says Henry Njalla Quan, General Manager of the CDC.

Banana production is high in Cameroon, coming behind only petrol and wood. The banana sector has created over 47,000 direct and indirect jobs in the country. The Cameroonian government has promised to strengthen the country’s supply chain of commodities to be in a better position to distribute abroad.

“We have contracts with distributing agents in Europe and ship directly to them. The bananas are sent to ripening houses, and then to supermarkets,” says Mr. Quan.

According to the FAO – the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations – bananas feed over 400 million people in the world. This fruit is in strong demand. The brand is trying to position itself to cater to the huge banana market in Britain, as well as the growing demand for bananas in the rest of Europe.

“We are working with a number of consultants. The banana market is a very delicate one,” says Mr. Quan. “From the farm to the supermarket, it is important to follow it step by step.”