The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) will in the 2011 fiscal year disburse FCFA 22,895 billion to subsidise investment in the agricultural sector in a move to step up food crop production for home consumption and cash crops for export. The money is contained in the ministry’s FCFA 71,424 billion package for 2011 defended by the Vice PM, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Jean Nkuete, yesterday November 18, 2010 before the Finance Committee of the National Assembly. The subvention is part of the ministry’s 2011 investment budget which stands at FCFA 39,033 billion.
Out of the subvention, main agricultural products will have FCFA 14,450 billion in an attempt to curb the incessant importation of food items, most of which the country has enormous potentials to produce aplenty, and to step up the production of cash crops to increase exportation and better the country’s trade balance which has over the years been below average. The sum of FCFA 6,925 billion will go for cash crop production and FCFA 7,525 billion for food crops. The target production of cocoa in 2011 stands at 293,000 tonnes, Arabica coffee, 14,000 tonnes, Robusta coffee, 48,000 tonnes while 125,000 tonnes of cotton are expected to be produced next year. Rice, one of the highest imports of the country, is expected to attain a 160,000 tonnes annual production, 1,967,832 tonnes of maize, 305,000 tonnes of palm oil as well as 460,000 tonnes of groundnuts next year. The sum of FCFA 4,774 billion will be disbursed to revive the cocoa and coffee sectors, FCFA 1,3 billion for cotton, FCFA 4,7 for rice sector, 1 billion to settle young farmers interested and involved in agriculture while FCFA 1,581 million will be used to support farmer associations.
Talking to the press after the marathon budget scrutiny, that spanned over five hours, Jean Nkuete disclosed that FCFA 1,826 billion will be used to transfer some competences to councils in the country within the framework of the ongoing decentralisation process. He stressed that other areas of interest will be to increase the production of high-yielding and disease-resistant cocoa plants with 20 million plants expected. This is apparently through the “Bio Fabric” project piloted by the country’s Cocoa Development Corporation (SODECAO) with technical assistance from Brazil.
MINDADER was preceded by the Vice PM, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Amadou Ali whose ministry’s package of FCFA 15,570 billion will focus among others on completing already engaged projects aimed at salvaging the dismal prison conditions in the country. He told the press that with the FCFA 2 billion investment budget, they would strive to round off construction works in areas like the Adamawa High Court, two audience halls at the Yaounde Supreme Court as well as begin construction work on the 5,000-capacity prison in Douala. There will equally be rehabilitation works in the Yaounde, Bamenda, Mbalmayo and Bafang Prisons, among others.
At press time last evening, the Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, Marafa Hamidou Yaya, was defending his ministry’s budget which stands at FCFA 27,622 billion. The Ministries of Basic Education, Secondary Education and Higher Education will take the relay this Friday morning while those of Tourism and the Economy, Planning and Regional Development will face the committee this afternoon.
