Find Agriculture expertise in Cameroon

Industry

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries contribute a significant 25% of Cameroon’s GDP (2010), retaining its position as the backbone of the Cameroonian economy. Subsistence farming is the predominant mode of agricultural production, the majority of Cameroonian farmers operating as small-holders, working small plots of land with traditional methods. Small-holders are responsible for the majority of cash crop production the bulk of cocoa plantations, the most popular cash crop, are less than three hectares in size. In 2009 agricultural land accounted for 19.8% of total land area.

With the important contribution of the agro-processing industry, agriculture is the basis of livelihood for over 70% of the country’s population and is a major earner of foreign currency. Most of the country’s exports are destined for the European Union. They include cocoa, cotton, coffee, rubber and palm oil. The country was the fifth largest producer of cocoa in the world in 2010, most of it grown in the forested southern areas. Cocoa beans are by far the most lucrative export, generating US$608,847,000 in 2010. Alongside export commodities, farmers produce numerous subsistence crops for domestic consumption. Principal food crops include millet, sorghum, peanuts, yam, cassava, plantains, sweet potatoes and manioc. Additionally, the practice of animal husbandry is significant throughout the country, particularly in the Northern provinces. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Cameroon Development Corporation are some of the key bodies in the sector.

Agriculture organisations in Cameroon
Cameroon Development Corporation
Institute of Agricultural Research for Development
Society of Agriculture and Forestry Cameroon (SAFACAM)
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