In order to understand the influence of the types of hired labour contracts on the performance of cocoa farms in Mbam and Kim in Cameroon, a reasoned sampling exercise was carried out to select 114 cocoa farmers. The two-stage approach using data envelope analysis (DEA) and Tobit censored models made it possible to analyse the efficiency of the farms. Two types of contracts were identified: a fixed annual contract (FAC) and a percentage sales contract (PSC) for cocoa harvested. The PSC appears to be more efficient than the FAC in terms of productivity and the allocation of inputs. In addition, the increase in the area of the farms, the number of clearings and mixed treatments are factors that contribute most to the inefficiency of these cocoa farms, while sanitary harvest, increasing the number of shade settings and cocoa tree sizes are sources of efficiency.