(Business in Cameroon) - According to the Ministry in charge of Agriculture (Minader), Cameroon could experience a slowdown in the "subsistence farming" sector. The sector is expected to grow by 3% in 2020 against 3.7% in 2019 due to the global health crisis caused by the covid-19, the security crisis in the North-West and South-West regions that are major production areas, and the adverse effects of climate change.

The  Minader nevertheless indicates that the sector should regain its former momentum thanks to government measures aimed at supplying foodstuffs in the national market (households and industries). For instance, to reduce the risks of shortages, the Ministry of Agriculture encouraged the cultivation of short-cycle subsistence products when launching the agricultural campaign in the first quarter of 2020.

In that regard, it provided farmers with 141,000 certified cassava cuttings, 60 tons of certified rainfed rice seeds, 1.5 million banana plants, 200 tons of potatoes, 6 million cocoa plants, and support for the development of market gardening. 

Via these actions, public authorities hope to boost production to the level reached in 2019. During that year, there was a significant increase in the production of most agricultural commodities including cassava, potatoes, plantain, maize, etc.. This increase, according to the Minader, is attributable to the upward trend in the creation of new farms (palm groves, cocoa plantations, etc.) and the processing of agricultural products through the development of value chains.

S.A.