Cameroon's green tea production is dominated by smallholder farmers and family-based processing, a traditional model that has been passed down through generations. Unlike the large, commercial plantations found in Kenya and Malawi, Cameroon's tea industry is characterized by small, scattered farms, with most farmers owning less than one hectare of tea bushes.
These smallholders rely on traditional farming practices, including manual planting, weeding, and harvesting, and many still use family-based processing methods to produce green tea. Traditional processing techniques in Cameroon include sun withering, where tea leaves are spread out to dry in the sun, and pan-fixation, where leaves are heated in iron pans to stop oxidation.
While these methods produce green tea with a distinct, robust flavor, they are less efficient than modern processing techniques and can result in inconsistent quality. In recent years, however, Cameroon has begun to modernize its green tea production, with government and non-governmental organizations providing smallholder farmers with training and access to modern processing equipment, such as steam-fixation machines, to improve the quality and consistency of their green tea.
