Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
3rd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COFFEE & COCOA , Rio De Janeiro, Brezilya, 13 - 15 Mart 2023, ss.43-49
The aim of this study is to examine the
comparative advantage of Cameroon, which constitutes an important part of world
cocoa production for the period 2008-2018. To carry out this study, Balassa
Index (RCA) and Vollrath's Relative Export Advantage (RXA and lnRXA) indexes,
which are widely used in the literature, are used. The results show that the
average RCA index value of Cameroon for the relevant period was 329.11, while
the average values calculated for RXA and lnRXA were 444.91 and 5.98,
respectively. If the result obtained in the RCA and RXA indexes is greater than
1, and the result obtained in the lnRXA index is greater than 0, it can be
interpreted that the relevant country has a comparative advantage in the
selected sector. Considering that the calculated values of the index are above
the specified limits for each year considered, it can be said that Cameroon has
a comparative advantage in the cocoa sector according to all the indicators
examined. However, the fact that the results obtained are so much higher than
the values accepted as the limit for comparative advantage, indicates the high
loss of added value when it is taken into account that the product examined in
the study is exported with very little processing. Cocoa production is an
important agricultural activity, representing 7.75% of Cameroon's Agricultural
GDP in the period 2008-2018. This sector is also a strategic product for
Cameroon since it represents 17.61% of the country's exports during the
reference period. For this reason, supporting cocoa processing industries
before their export will ensure better added value to the country with cocoa,
which is an important product in the country's economy.