Agriculture In Cameroon - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Agriculture In Cameroon - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The Cameroonian agriculture market is projected to record a CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period (2022-2027).

Cameroon agriculture had adverse effects such as delay in sowing and a rise in the prices of agricultural commodities, particularly imported rice and maize, owing to the various restrictive measure implied by the Government of Cameroon to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Agriculture in Cameroon represents more than half of the country’s non-oil export revenues and employs almost 60% of the working population. About 90% of Cameroonian rural households are, in one way or another, employed in agriculture, and approximately one-third of them earn their livelihood from the export of crops. Since time immemorial, agriculture has been part and parcel of the people of Cameroon. The main crops range from traditional food crops (millet and maize) to export crops (banana, cocoa, coffee, and cotton) as well as less traditional crops (onion, green beans, wheat, and rice) produced either for local consumption or usually for export.

Improved awareness across various social media platforms related to health and well-being has boosted demand for various food products and fresh fruits and vegetables. It was estimated that South Africans spend nearly 16% of their incomes on fruits and vegetables. People in the country are discovering the link between healthy food and well-being, and are switching their alternatives to fruits and vegetables. With the rising health consciousness, there is also an increasing consumption trend toward varieties of off-season fruits, which are usually met by rising imports. For vegetables, like beans and cabbage, there is a recent trend of growing consumption, especially among the middle-income group in Cameroon. Crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, onions, okra, peppers, bananas, pineapples, watermelons, mangoes, avocadoes, melons, and peaches are some of the significant fruits and vegetable crops identified with great market growth in Cameroon during the forecast period. An increase in demand for fruits and vegetables was thus reflected by the rise in the production of fruits and vegetables in the country.

Cameroonian food crops dominate the agricultural market in the region. Maize is the most important food crop, followed by wheat and barley. South Africa reported a total of 2,344.6 thousand metric ton of maize production in 2018, with a free state province accounting for 28.5% of the total maize production in Cameroon. Climatic conditions, coupled with a lack of knowledge about transfer activities, are the major limitation to the agriculture sector in Cameroon. Government initiatives, like the creation of Agri-parks, and the introduction of projects, like project IFAD, are expected to promote the cultivation of food crops in the country and enhance the well-being of rural poor people. Favorable climatic conditions and supportive government policies are expected to drive the Cameroonian food crop market. Maize accounts for more than 80% of the local food crop production in Cameroon. The Cameroonian food crop market has matured considerably since the deregulation of marketing. Producers, traders, and other intermediaries interact freely in the marketing of their produce. The Cameroon government also gives the freedom to the farmers to choose the market where they want to trade their products. Hence, if the farmers do not get desirable prices for their production, they can sell their commodities in the international market.

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
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