This financial contribution aims to increase the production of rice and onion and to improve the conditions of conservation, processing and marketing of these products. The Cameroonian Government, through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), signed on September 25, 2020 a financing agreement for the second phase of the Support Project for the Development of Agricultural Sectors (PADFA).
Through this funding, it is a question of increasing the production of rice and onion, improving their conservation, processing and marketing and strengthening the technical and organizational capacities of producers.
According to statistics published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the first phase of the said project between 2014 and 2017 supported 1,305 production organizations, with more than 70% increase in yield for onion producers. and 67% among rice farmers.
Phase II of PADFA could make it possible to increase rice production to 750,000 tonnes in 2020 against 163,000 tonnes in 2013 before the launch of the project, while onion production should cross the 200,000 tonnes mark against 140 000 tonnes during the period under review.
With more than 500,000 tons of imports per year, rice is the main product imported by Cameroon for about 160 billion FCFA, far ahead of fish, 125 billion FCFA, is one of the main factors of the imbalance of the trade balance.
