(Business in Cameroon) - Implemented in 10 regions of Cameroon since 2008 by the Ministries of Agriculture and Farming, the Agropastoral Professional Training Support Programme (AFOP in French) has just completed preparation for the first wave of a little over 1,000 young persons with projects for the agropastoral sector.

After training in partner centres of the AFOP programme, these young peple were received by the government, to the tune of 1.5 million FCFA each, to implement an agro-pastoral project. This amounts to a total of 1.5 billion FCFA from C2D funds.

In the coming years, these young people should help to increase agro-pastoral production in Cameroon, a country dealing with a number of production deficits. According to AFOP Coordinator, Pierre Blaise Ango, the recruitment of these young people will help in the fight against unemployment by creating 1,700 new direct and indirect jobs.

Indeed, the agro-pastoral sector is proving itself to be a major source of jobs in Cameroon. Although it remains largely unindustrialised, the sector officially employs around 75% of the country’s workforce.