Agriculture in Cameroon

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Agriculture in Cameroon is an important part of the Economy of Cameroon. It is one of the largest producers of Taro, cocoa bean, Palm oil and Cooking banana in the world. Approximately 70% of the workers in the country are involved in agriculture, [1] and over 80% of the economically important industries are connected. [1]

Contents

Production

Cameroon produced in 2018:

In addition to smaller productions of other agricultural products, such as coffee (33 thousand tons) and natural rubber (55 thousand tons). [2]

Crops

Potato field in Bamboutos Agriculture rurale.jpg
Potato field in Bamboutos
Cooking bananas near Bandjoun Champ de plantains a Mbo (Bandjoun).jpg
Cooking bananas near Bandjoun
Palm kernels in Tayap Noix de palme-Tayap (6).jpg
Palm kernels in Tayap
Cocoa Farm ChrisTonaldo on his harvested coacoa.jpg
Cocoa Farm
Mr. Ateh Eldeno harvesting cocoa in his farm Ateh Eldeno harvesting coacoa.jpg
Mr. Ateh Eldeno harvesting cocoa in his farm
Cotton harvesting Kdfcoton4.JPG
Cotton harvesting

According to a document jointly published in 2007 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), and that of Fishery, Livestock and Animal Husbandry (MINEPIA); in recent years, food production did not follow the rapid demographic increase, especially in the urban areas. According to these ministries, food security has to be assured by an increase in the production of food stuff and other crops which could substitute importations. To meet these needs, these ministries have as an objective for a sector's development strategy, set a target in 2015 to train 30.000 farmers per year. MINADER has 35 centres for agricultural training (24 are rural training centres and 11 are centres for the training of young farmers). Furthermore, these two ministries are actually offering training in the rural development sector like extension agents, agricultural advisers and professional farmer groupings (farmers’ organisations).

The Government, faced with the effects of the financial crisis, has taken steps to boost production of commodities such as corn, rice, cassava, potato, oil palm and plantain. For food crops, these measures aim to improve commercialisation products through the construction of warehouses for conservation. In 2009, the agricultural sector accounted for approximately 75.6% of primary industry with 68.8% for food and agriculture 6.8% for export crops. This sub-sector increased by 8.3% compared to 2008, contributing 0.7 percentage point to growth actual primary sector. (Institut National de la Statistique – Annuaire Statistique du Cameroun 2010) In 2009, the government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development intends to implement an emergency plan to increase agricultural production. This plan aims to provide farmers planting material; subsidize pesticides and fertilizer from 20 to 50%, grant loans at low interest rates, create five pools of agricultural machinery support up to 15%, acquire about a hundred tractors and increase the capacity of processing, storage and packaging. All this will lead to improved agricultural production. The National Agricultural Extension and Agricultural Research (PNVRA) through outreach activities conducted by Extension Agents Zone (AVZ) provide technical guidance and sometimes financial farmers. (Institut National de la Statistique – Annuaire Statistique du Cameroun 2010)

Market stall selling yams and plantains in the West Region of Cameroon, 2014. Yams and Plantains sold in the West Region of Cameroon (2014).jpg
Market stall selling yams and plantains in the West Region of Cameroon, 2014.

In March 2012, “Cameroun Tribune” published an article on the eve of the launching of the 2012 farming season in Cameroon, stating that apart from some few mechanised industrial exploitations, agriculture in Cameroon is essentially traditional. With subsistence agriculture, manual work is usually very arduous, the cultivated surface area is also reduced, and yields are low and therefore insufficient to meet both domestic and external demand for food. This article reveals that Cameroon is forced to import large quantities of cereals (rice, maize) to fill the gap in production, feed its population and meet the demands of the brewing industries. That is why during the agro pastoral show in Ebolowa, President Paul Biya stressed the need to modernised Cameroon's agriculture, so as to increase the productivity of small farmers and encourage the emergence of “second generation” production units; that is to say large and medium size companies. In this perspective, the mechanisation of agriculture must be a fact, given the multiplier effect of machines in the chain of production.

Coffee

Santa Coffee Estate in Bamenda The National Archives UK - CO 1069-24-27.jpg
Santa Coffee Estate in Bamenda
Coffee production is important to the economy of Cameroon. [3] [4] [5] The crop is grown extensively in the country, with robusta more prevalent in the coastal areas and arabica more widespread in the western highlands. [6] The two varieties of arabica cultivated are Java and Jamaïca of which only Java is resistant to pests such as coffee berry disease and rust. [7] In 2014, Cameroon was ranked the 31st largest producer of coffee in world. [8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Food and Agriculture". cameroon.panda.org. Retrieved 2025-09-06.
  2. Cameroon production in 2018, by FAO
  3. Les cahier d'autre mer, Les cahier d'autre mer (2008). "Café, caféiculteurs et vie politique dans les hautes terres de l'Ouest-Cameroun". Les Cahiers d'Outre-Mer. 61 (243): 285–302. doi: 10.4000/com.5310 . Retrieved 2015-09-11.
  4. Journal du Cameroun, Journal du Cameroun. "Café camerounais: Un festival pour relancer une filière en crise". Xinhua. Xinhua. Archived from the original on 2014-07-06. Retrieved 2015-09-11.
  5. Cameroon Tribune, Cameroon Tribune (2015-04-24). "Festicoffee 2015: Le café des femmes". Cameroon Tribune. 32 (10832/7017): 10. Retrieved 2015-09-11.
  6. DeLancey, Mbuh & Delancey 2010, p. 103.
  7. "Cameroon Coffee Sector Development Strateg 2010-2015". National Cocoa And Coffee Board. pp. 16–20. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  8. "Cameroon's Coffee Farmers Blame Government for Production Drops". Voice of America. 31 July 2014. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2015.