(Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon expects to boost its rubber production by 6,667 tons in 2022, thanks to a government program aimed at developing oil palm and rubber tree plantations in the country. This was revealed on August 8, 2021, during the first meeting of the steering committee in charge of the program.

This ambition will be fulfilled by notably providing various supports to small farmers, and restoring and redeveloping existing plantations to boost per-hectare yield. This projected increase in rubber production will comfort the upturn already announced by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) after a rather sluggish 2020 affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The program will also help bring in more revenues for farmers given the uptrend being recorded in rubber prices in international markets since 2020. Indeed, according to BEAC data, in Q3-2020, rubber (23.6%), palm oil  (22.8%), and sugar (14.6%) were the CEMAC region’s export products that recorded the highest price rise on the international market. In Q4-2020, rubber once again recorded the highest price rise, up by 35.2% quarter to quarter.

BRM