THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON:

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Title
THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON
AN ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION FOR AGRIBUSINESS
INVESTORS
Agricultural potentials of Cameroon
Potentials for dev't of EDV for local markets and
export
Presented by Dr. S. Manga Owona
At the Cameroon-Angola Agrifood meeting (May 2009)
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Contents

• Natural agricultural potentials of Cameroon(2)
• Available dynamic human resources(1)
• Enhanced infrastructure for industrial
  development(3)
• A land of peace and political stability(1)
• A facilitated foreign investment policy(1)

• Scaling-up / propagation(1)
• Hybrid seed mass scale productions(1)
• Growing / production of fresh products(2)
• Industrial transformation of raw materials(1)

• Breeding locally for locally grown crop
  varieties(3)

W
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Agricultural potentials of Cameroon
Cameroon is situated in the Gulf of Guinea
Surface area 475,000 sq. km.
Population 16,000,000
Steady water drainage from several main rivers
and regular rainfall
Leading economy in a region of 30,000,000 people
(possibly 95,000,000 people)
Revenues from agricultural products made up 42.5
of GDP in 2006
70 of population active in agriculture
Agricultural products make up 30 of export
revenue
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Natural agric potentials of Cameroon
Five ecological zones in Cameroon
1- The soudano-sahelian zone (Maroua, Garoua)
2- The high guinea savannah zone (Wakwa
Ngaoundéré)
3- The western high plateau zone (Bambui Mankon)
4- The humid forest monomodal zone (Ekona)
5- The humid forest bimodal zone (Nkol bisson
Yaoundé)

• Information developed in
• regional agricultural research centers
• Agronomic history
• Potential genetic variation in land races
• Climatic
• Geological
• Hydrology
• Ecological
• Potential biotic and abiotic stresses

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Some facts on Cameroon
Not exclusively mentioned the large surface
areas, well drained flat lands of mbam division
very suited for mechanized agriculture ideal for
massive crop Productions as required for growing
of bio fuels or seed oil
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Dynamic / trained human resources
Training of staff abroad locally since
independence
University Centers trained agronomic / agro food
engineers, scientists technicians since
mid 70s
Currently 7 Universities in Cameroon offer
Masters degrees in several fields of
agriculture food transformation industry
Cameroon has the highest literacy rate in Africa
(Unicef figures)
There is therefore enough competent staff in
Cameroon
Ordinary people are creative and hardworking
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Dynamic / trained human resources
Talking about the ingenious people of Cameroon
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Land of peace political stability
You hear a lot more about the Indomitable Lions
than Cameroon itself
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Infrastructure for industrial development
Cameroon has a coast line of 403 km long with
practicable seaports at Douala and Kribi plus
one in project at Limbé thus readily accessible
by ship
Douala seaport is the major port of entry for
imports to Cameroon and the entire central
African region including Central African Rep.,
Chad, Eq. Guinea
Three international airports strategically
located at Douala, Yaoundé, Garoua have
facilities for airfreight. In addition, there
are over 50 small airports and airstrips, nine of
which have permanent-surface runways
Regional capitals, industrial/commercial port
cities are linked by good roads
A railway links the southern to the northern
parts and the republic of Chad goods are
distributed from regional warehouses at
Ngaoundéré railhead
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Unique strategic location geographically,
economically, politically
Sea route
Air routes
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Infrastructure for industrial development
Internet access has been possible in Cameroon
since April 1997
An optic telecommunication fiber runs alongside
the Chad Cameroon pipeline enabling quality
access to telephone and internet at high speed to
several remote regions of the country
Mobile telephone networks mobile internet cover
the entire territory and are accessible to all
Electricity and water supply are currently being
upgraded to meet new demands
Agricultural development sometimes benefits 30
40 budgetary allocations
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Facilitated foreign investment policies
Attractive legislation for foreign investments
The government withdraws from production, and
concerns itself only with regulations, control,
evaluation and supervision of agricultural
activities.
The state puts in place an appropriate climate
for investment in agro-business.
The state to ensure that partners of the
agricultural sector put in place a mechanism
that will guarantee a wider access to
agricultural produce, summarily, conditions of
better understanding and of achievement of more
interdependence and mutual benefit.
Economic operators of the agriculture sector are
called upon to take their responsibilities at
all stages of seed and crop productions.
Incentives in these legislature include ZERO tax
/ custom duty on agricultural machinery ZERO
custom duty on export of agricultural products
The results already attained show that the
manager and the farmers are already conscious
and taking advantage of the new situation
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Need for foreign investor impetus
One hand cannot tie a bundle
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Ground activities Scaling up propagation
Vast arable land, various microclimates for
propagation and mass production
Particularly suitable for companies that seek to
Produce cuttings for export
Produce cuttings and root them before exporting
Produce cuttings, root them, and cultivate on the
spot
Grow in Cameroon, sell in the local market or
export
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Ground activities seed production
Suitable climatic conditions and man power for
seed production
Tomato Pepper Rocket Wild rocket Fenugreek Beets C
oriander Mizuna Pakchoi etc.. As well as
ornamentals
Mass production of oil seeds for bio fuels
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Ground activities Growing of fresh products for
export
Growing of fruit trees e.g.. papaya, oranges,
lemon etc Other fruits e.g. pineapple, water
melon etc
Fresh vegetables for local markets export e.g.
green beans grown in Cameroon exported to Europe
Airfreight facilities with daily flights already
exist in Cameroon for freshly produced agric.
products
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Ground activities Industrial transformation on
the spot
Investors who can locally transform agricultural
raw materials
Annually tons of fruits are wasted e.g. oranges,
mango, lemon, exotic fruits, pineapples, papaya,
etc
Local transformation of industrial raw materials
from agricultural products e.g. palm nuts, coco
nuts,
Several other industrial transformers of
agricultural products will find cheap raw
material in Cameroon and a market for the product
in the sub region
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Breeding locally for locally grown crops
General lack of information on quality planting
material
Good planting material could increase yield
averagely by 30
Traditional farmers cultivate max. 2 hectares a
year
Decline in yield often attributed to worsening
soil quality
Solution often has been using more fertilizers
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Breeding locally for locally grown crops
State impetus to improve crop production via
improvement of seed quality

• Research objectives were/are to increase crop
  production and improve the
• quality of harvest and also to create high
  yielding varieties.
• The work had/has four stages
• Collection of genetic material for a diversified
  reservoir of genes
• Creating varieties (land races)
• Producing of pre-basic and basic seeds
• Varietal tests in order to evaluate their
  agronomic potentials.

The private sector is now called upon to take
over the production, processing, packaging,
labeling, promotion and marketing of seed.
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Breeding locally for locally grown crops

• New seed policy
• Privatization of production and commercialization
  of planting material
• Definition of roles of different partners
  involved in plant material production
• and distribution (research, Ministry of
  Agriculture, private/economic operators)
• Putting in place an appropriate institutional
  set-up (legislation and regulation).
• Within this context, the state focuses on
  regulations, control of quality, training
• of seed producers, organization and supervision
  of seed production and
• distribution activities.

• University of Yaoundé I offers a Masters degree
  in seed technology

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Conclusion
Agricultural potentials of Cameroon
Cameroon has a great potential to be exploited in
agricultural production, seed production, and
varietal development

• the several agro-ecological zones,

• presence of large surface areas of arable for
  massive crop production

• qualified staff / technicians in the area of
  agricultural research /production, varietal
  development, seed technology and production

• the dynamic and peaceful nature of the population

• readily accessible by air sea,
• internal road / rail transportation, telecom, and
  energy infrastructure

• several positive results on varietal improvement
  at the level of research

• impetus of the state and laws for agribusiness
  investors

• area is potentially profitable because of the
  state withdrawal (liberalization)

• strategically located to reach immediate local
  markets of a couple of million

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Thank you

Looking forward to welcoming you in Cameroon