(Business in Cameroon) - The Cameroonian Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation and the Agronomic Research Institute for Development (IRAD) have just signed six agreements for a total of 1.2 billion FCfa to intensify research in the areas of rice, cassava, potatoes and other staples, poultry and vegetables.

The financing resulting from the C2D, a bilateral debt-reduction initiative by the French government, will enable the production of improved seeds and develop intensive, competitive production systems. These efforts are intended to significantly increase productivity.

While speaking at the ceremony for the signing of the agreements, the director of the French Development Agency (AFD) in Cameroon, Hervé Conan, announced that the institution will extend financing to private sector projects in Cameroon. According to the AFD head, more than 1 billion FCfa is already available for this purpose.