More Effort to Boost Local Output

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More Effort to Boost Local Output

Despite billions of FCFA injected to improve rice production and reduce trade deficit, much is still left to be done.

09 Sep 2026 15:57

R ice is one of the mass consumption products targeted by the go vernment’s 2021 plan to support local production and processing. The plan has already yielded some fruits, according to the 2025 Econo mic Report published by the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development. Rice importation fell by 47% in 2023, saving about FCFA 40.2 billion. Other measures men tioned in the report include tax reliefs and simplification of import procedures for agri cultural goods and equipment. Other major investments the government has launched to boost rice production include the FCFA 385 billion National Rice Development Strategy that focuses on expanding ir rigation, improving yields, and linking farmers to markets. In the North West Region, FCFA 4 billion was recently injected into the Upper Noun Valley Development Authority, UNV DA, to scale up production of Ndop rice from 21,000 tonnes to 100,000 tonnes. Under the VIVA-Benoue and VIVA-Logone projects, the government delivered agricultural equipment, in cluding 10 tractors, 13 mini harvesters, 25 rice threshers, and 40 power tillers to reduce dependency on imports. The government also launched the huge FCFA 1,443 billion Integrated Agropastoral and Fisheries Import-Substitution Plan for seven priority value chains, including rice, with the main objective to cut trade deficit by 40%. Despite these efforts, Came roon still has a deficit of about 450,000 metric tonnes of rice yearly. This costs the country about FCFA 300 billion in im ports. Government projects to raise local production to 460,000 tonnes by 2027 and to 750,000 tonnes by 2030 demand supplementary efforts. While weather problems like flooding and drought are hard to control, o...