Cameroon launches project to boost rice production

Cameroon’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Gabriel Mbairobe on Wednesday launched a project to develop rice production in the Central African nation.

The project, dubbed “Rice Value Chain Development Project,” seeks to ensure the availability of production and post-harvest infrastructure and equipment as well as inputs for increasing rice production.

It also intends to enhance the profitability of smallholder farmers by improving their access to markets and their capacity to add value to locally produced paddy rice and processed rice, said Mbairobe while launching the project in the capital of Yaounde.

Rice is highly consumed in Cameroon. In 2022, national production stood at about 170,000 metric tons while local demand exceeded 400,000 metric tons, according to the government-run National Institute of Statistics.

“The government seeks to boost the local production of rice and significantly reduce its imports,” Mbairobe added.