(Business in Cameroon) - In 2018, rice production failed to reach the volume projected by the Irrigated and Rainfed Rice Development Project (Proderip) implemented in Cameroon with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).

Figures provided by Proderip showed that the maximum output is still 300,000 tons per year, while national demand is 600,000 tons. In need to offset this gap, the country spends about XAF120 billion to import rice per annum. However, Proderip keeps reassuring the government is still committed to increasing Cameroon's rice production to 750,000 tons by 2020. Once achieved, this will double the production in a year's time.

Since 2011, when the project was launched, Jica claimed it has contributed to the training of nearly 10,000 farmers and the distribution of nearly 75,000 tons of seeds. Let’s note that the second phase of Proderip, currently underway, aims to train nearly 4,000 new farmers.

S.A.