(Business in Cameroon) – In 2023, Cameroon exported just over 15,494 tons of rice to Chad, generating CFA 10.7 billion in revenue, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Rice has become the fourth-largest export from Cameroon to Chad, holding a 7% market share, trailing behind soaps (17%), food preparations (10%), and steel bars (9%).
Two main sources supply Chad with rice from Cameroon. First, the Société d’expansion et de modernisation de la riziculture de Yagoua (Semry), located in the Far North region near the Chad border, provides a significant portion of its annual 80,000 to 100,000 tons to Chad and Nigeria. Much of this rice is reportedly smuggled, avoiding customs tracking.
Second, rice imported by Cameroonian traders for the local market also reaches Chad and Nigeria. In Nigeria, rice imports are heavily taxed to promote local production. Gabon and Equatorial Guinea are also notable destinations for rice re-exported by Cameroonian businesses due to competitive prices.
The INS reports that in 2019, Cameroonian traders re-exported 332,300 tons of rice to neighboring countries, amounting to approximately CFA 87 billion. This re-exportation occurs even as Cameroon struggles to meet its domestic demand of 576,949 tons annually.
