Good rains and government support

Good rains and government support expected to improve agricultural production

Reflecting continued government support, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has planned to assist the expansion of cash crops including coffee and cocoa, as well as rice and maize production in the 2010/11 cropping season. Heavy rainfall recorded in February and the first weeks of March in southern regions, is expected to help land preparations for planting the 2010/11 crops; maize planting is currently underway.
2009 cereal production declines following poor rains in the north of the country

Harvesting of the secondary season maize crop in 2009/10 was completed in January; total cereal production is estimated to have fallen below the output recorded in the previous year. Poor rains in the North, particularly in Logone and Chari, during the beginning of the season (June and July) together with prolonged dry spells negatively impacted initial crop development for millet and sorghum The two regions produce approximately 90 percent of the total national output of millet and sorghum. A joint government/FAO/WFP food security assessment mission that visited northern Cameroon recently, found that the combined millet and sorghum harvest in the Far North was down by 22 percent compared to the 2008 output. The report also indicates that the maize harvest in the Far North fell compared to the previous season’s level, with limited fertiliser use contributing to the decrease. In contrast, rice production in the North and Far North is estimated at an average level for the 2009/10 season. The two northern regions produce approximately two thirds of the total national rice output in a normal year. However, given the distance from the main consumption centres in the south, the majority of the output is exported to Central African Republic, Chad and Nigeria, with imports covering the remaining national consumption requirements.

Lower rainfall levels, in addition, affected water reserves and consequently pasture conditions.
Maize prices decline in northern regions

During 2009 cereal prices in the Far North and North regions were at a lower level compared to prices observed in the previous year. In Kouseri and Maroua markets (Far North), maize prices in January 2010 dropped by 19 and 32 percent, respectively, compared to prices recorded in the same month in 2008. Similarly, in Ngong and Garoua (North), maize prices fell by approximately 16 percent over the same period.

The government’s provision of 4 000 tonnes of subsidised maize to the poultry industry may also have contributed to lowering maize prices. Furthermore, the Government reached an agreement with industry groups and wholesalers to freeze prices of basic food items, including rice, frozen fish and cooking oil, until July 2010. This initiative is expected to help limit food inflation.
Drought conditions aggravate food insecurity in the extreme north of the country

Food security conditions in the northern departments are poor following the reduction in cereal production and the situation needs to be closely monitored. Low income households and those affected by drought conditions, especially in Makary, Blangoua, Fotokol, Hile-Alifa Goulfey and Logone-and-Chari will be particularly impacted by the decline in millet and sorghum crops, which cover about 40 percent of households’ cereal requirements in the north.

UNHCR has estimated that over 80 000 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad are currently located in the regions of Adamawa and East. Despite some improvement in food consumption since their arrival, an estimated 39 percent of the refugees in these regions still remain severely food insecure. An Emergency Operation, currently in progress, is to supply food aid to the refugees until the end of July 2010.