(Business in Cameroon) – The Agricultural Research Institute for Development (IRAD) officially delivered 4.5 tons of improved foundation rice seeds to the national Rice Value Chain Development Project on May 23, 2025, in Yaoundé. This initial shipment represents 50% of the total seed quantity expected from IRAD under an agreement signed by both parties in 2023.
These 4.5 tons of foundation seeds are projected to yield 300 tons of certified seeds this year. This plant material, once distributed to producers, is expected to significantly boost rice production in Cameroon’s Northwest, West, and Far North regions, which are the primary areas covered by the Rice Value Chain Development Project.
The project, with an estimated total cost of nearly 98 billion CFA francs, is co-financed by the Islamic Development Bank, the OPEC Fund, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. Its overarching goal is to reduce Cameroon’s substantial rice imports by increasing domestic production.
According to the 2025–2027 Medium-Term Economic and Budgetary Programming Document, Cameroon aims to raise its national rice production from 140,710 tons in 2024 to 460,000 tons by 2027. However, even with this projected increase, supply is expected to remain below demand, necessitating continued reliance on imports.
Data from the Ministry of Agriculture indicates that Cameroon’s rice demand, which grows annually, was already estimated at 576,949 tons in 2020. Compared to the projected 460,000 tons for 2027, a shortfall of at least 110,000 tons will persist, which will have to be covered by imports. This continued reliance on imported rice is expected to further widen the country’s trade deficit.
BRM
