By DOH JAMES SONKEY
The rural sector’s contribution to the national economy of Cameroon came under review last June 27 and 28, 2019 in Yaounde. This was during the 3rd session of the joint review of the rural sector by members of the Technical Committee of the Rural Sector and Development Strategy placed under the chairmanship of the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey. For two days, rural world stakeholders identified strategic orientations for the period from 2020 to 2030.
Presiding at the 3rd session, the Vice Chair of the Technical Committee, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Agriculture in charge of Rural Development, Ananga Messina thanked agricultural sector’s professionals for working hand-in-glove with the government to ensure that the development of the rural sector is in line with the 2035 emergence vision of Cameroon as prescribed by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya.
She explained that “in the rural sector, the Growth and Employment Strategic Paper is operational through the Rural Sector Development Strategy document (2015-2020) which constitutes orientation framework for interventions in the sector.
Describing the rural sector as key to national economy because of its transversal effects on other sectors, the Minister Delegate in charge of Rural Development, Ananga Messina explained that revenues derived from the exploitation of primary products of agriculture constituted an essential source of public and private investment and contributed to the country’s growth in the last decades.
She highlighted that “The rural sector plays an important role of economic and social stability of Cameroon through its contribution to job creation, income generating activities as well as food security. Agriculture represents major stakes in national demographic equilibrium in that its development can limit rural exodus.”