DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA: Japan donates CFAF 1 billion to Cameroon for paddy field development

Investing in Cameroon - The Minister of Economic Affairs, Planning and Spatial Planning (Minepat), Alamine Ousmane Mey and the Japanese Ambassador to Cameroon, Tsutomu Osawasigned a donation agreement, 20 August in Yaoundé.

It is agricultural equipment worth 200 million yen that will help the development in Central Africa or about one billion CFA francs, for the project for the development of rain-fed rice cultivation in the forest area (Proderip).

"The Japan has decided to make this gift to promote Cameroon's socio-economic development. We want to increase the productivity and quality of rice and strengthen the food security and growth of Cameroon's agribusiness sector. We want to contribute to the improvement ” , has said the Japanese ambassador.

" The aim of this agreement is on the one hand to reduce rice imports and improve Cameroon's trade balance and on the other hand to strengthen food security "Alamine Ousmane Mey explained.

Since the launch of Proderip in 2011, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) claims to have contributed to the training of almost 10,000 farmers and the distribution of almost 75,000 tonnes of seeds. The second phase of the current Proderip aims to train almost 4,000 new farmers.

Rice production in Cameroon still does not exceed 300 000 tonnes per year, while the national demand is 600 000 tonnes. The country is forced to rely on imports to the tune of FCFA 120 billion annually.