By DOH JAMES SONKEY
Government has noted the role of rice in promoting food security, economic and social stability in Cameroon. The observation was made last September 30, 2019 in Yaounde at a restitution workshop of the final report of a study proposing deep analysis of different development approaches to rice cultivation and the formulation of a global economic model for sustainable development.
Organised by the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, the workshop was chaired on behalf of Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey, by the Director General of Economy and Public Investment Programming, Isaac Tamba.
Noting that rice as a basic necessity product largely consumed in the country, Isaac Tamba explained that “the National Strategy for the Development of Rice Production elaborated in 2007 set as objective the production of 750 000 tons of rice by 2020. It is within this framework that government took important measures to ensure that rice is available at affordable prices nationwide.”
Apart from lifting customs duties and taxes on rice importation, contracts to revamp SEMRY in the North and UNVDA in the North West from (2013 to 2015) were signed.
Participants regretted that farmers are not making good use of opportunities offered by the government given that local transformation of rice into other products such as flour, cheeps etc and its commercialisation is still very timid in the country.
The study proposes a plan to revamp the sector so that local production can improve from 65% to 100% and Cameroonians encouraged to consume Made in Cameroon Rice by 2024.