A technical cooperation agreement to this effect was signed in Yaounde yesterday. The Economic and Monetary Union of Central African States (CEMAC) has reached a deal with the government of Israel to work in synergy in the production of pesticides with the goal of stepping up agricultural production in the Sub-region.

The ceremony took place yesterday January 31, 2011 at the premises of the Inter-States Pesticides Committee for Central Africa (CPAC) at the Bastos neighbourhood in Yaounde. Israel’s Ambassador to Cameroon, Michael Arbel signed for his country while the Chairman of the CEMAC Commission, Antoine Ntsimi, signed for the six-member States institution. 

According to the Israeli Ambassador to Cameroon, the world is advancing and his country cannot sit and watch friendly countries stagnate in a sector like agriculture where it could give a push.  “Nowadays, every country which produces and wants to export has to obey certain rules, especially the residues of pesticides. Fortunately in Israel, we export much of our produce and have gained so much experience and we have decided to share this experience with friendly CEMAC countries”, Michael Arbel said.  

According to the terms of the agreement, Israel will share its wealth of knowledge in pesticides regulation with CPAC so as to boost the latter’s activities in the sanitation of agricultural production for the preservation of the environment and the health of local consumers, as well as in enhancing the competitiveness of local agricultural produce on the international market. Speaking during the ceremony, Antoine Ntsimi said Israel is far advanced in scientific development, one of which is the domain of pesticides and that the partnership is timely and life-sustaining. “We believe that with this cooperation agreement, individual countries and countries of the CEMAC Sub-region will benefit significantly from technological advancement in the agricultural sector which is a lever for socio-economic development, not only because it ensures food security and safety, but equally for the livelihoods of the population, most of whom are agriculture-base”, he said. CEMAC member countries, he added, spend more than FCFA 22 billion every year on pesticides to enhance agricultural production. A view which the Permanent Secretary of CPAC, Benoit Bouato corroborated, adding that the agreement will greatly enhance the activities of CPAC.