Wheat Self-sufficiency: Cameroon Bets on Wheat Basins to Cut Import Dependence

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Wheat Self-sufficiency: Cameroon Bets on Wheat Basins to Cut Import Dependence

The Wassandé hub in Adamawa is a strategic centre for seed multiplication as the government seeks to reduce costly imports.

14 Oct 2026 07:35

U nder a three-year restructuring plan scheduled to begin in January 2027, the government intends to invest FCFA 30.9 billion in certified seeds, farmer support, and storage, processing, and mar keting infrastructure. Approved by stakeholders at a Yaounde workshop on June 24, 2026, the programme targets 180,000 tonnes of commercial wheat production. The initiative will focus on the Far North, North, Adamawa, West, and Northwest regions, identified as suitable wheat-producing basins. Wassandé, where the Institute of Agricultural Re search for Development (IRAD) has resumed foundation-seed multiplication, is central to efforts to provide farmers with varieties adapted to local conditions. According to figures presented by sector stakeholders, the programme will dedicate 4,500 hectares to producing approximately 9,000 tonnes of certified seeds. IRAD’s re search and seed multiplica tion work are expected to provide the foundation for expanding cultivation beyond experimental plots. The plan builds on the government’s broader import-substitution drive, including the Integrated Agro-Pastoral and Fisheries Import Substitution Plan (PIISAH), which prioritises domestic production of strategic food commodities. Private agro-processors and bakeries are also exploring local flour alternatives, supported by tax incentives and initiatives promoting cassava, maize, and other indigenous crops. The urgency is evident in trade figures, as Cameroon spent FCFA 178.3 billion on wheat imports in 2023, despite a 31.6% decline in expenditure from 2022, according to fi gures attributed to national trade statistics. The National Institute of Statistics (INS) reported wheat imports of 887,400 tonnes that year, while President Paul Biya cited domestic production of just 12,800 tonnes of local flour in 2024. Authoriti...