2 billion frs put in place to support Tomatoes production in Cameroon.

Great news for agriculturists especially after some tomatoes production farmers killed themselves due to low profit.

Tomato production will now be supported by the Cameroonian Government.

This is included in the rescue plan drawn up by the ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development and Trade on July 16, 2020.

During the weekly meeting of the Interministerial Committee responsible for evaluating and monitoring the implementation of the government’s response strategy against the Coronavirus pandemic, on July 16, 2020 in Yaoundé chaired by the Prime Minister, Joseph Dion Ngute, the ministers Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), Gabriel Mbaïrobé, and Commerce (MINCOMMERCE), Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, took stock of the state of play of the tomato sector. They presented the support measures in favour of local actors who have suffered the plunge in the prices of this market gardening since the occurrence of Covid-19 in Cameroon.

“Since the advent of Covid-19 and the restriction of urban mobility, we have witnessed a drastic drop in the selling price of the crate of tomatoes, from 3,000 FCFA on the field to 500 F; this situation puts producers in difficulty because the break-even point is 1,500 FCFA on the field, ”reports Cameroon Tribune.

And to add “The tomato sector generates nearly 600,000 jobs with an average production of
700,000 tons per year. Around 330,000 small family or organized producers supply the market, accompanied by a few agricultural entrepreneurs who operate areas ranging from 3 to 15 hectares, ”notes the newspaper. So to save this industry, the government is giving itself six months to put into practice a recovery plan.

According to our colleague, “it will be necessary to identify the cooperatives in the tomato sector in the centers and areas most affected by the pandemic; strengthen technical capacities (production and processing, adequate use of pesticides); various supports (motor pumps, sprayers, sanitary products, hybrid seeds) for a total cost of two billion FCFA) ”.

According to the words of MINADER reported by the newspaper: “the rehabilitation of the Noun Agricultural Canning Company which closed for insufficient raw material, but also the creation of other smaller structures in the production basins or the centers of consumption; the establishment of mini-processing units in cooperatives; the increase in the national production of tomatoes within the framework of the project of development of the vegetable crops, to feed the agro-industries “.