To promote import substitution: Gov’t unveils plans to reduce cereal import by 35%.

The plan by the government is scheduled for the year 2028. The initiative which comes as part of a five-year plan for wheat production launched earlier this year by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, aims to bolster food security and reduce dependence on cereal imports.

In response to the said reliance on imports, government has launched a comprehensive import substitution drive, culminating in the introduction of a five-year development plan aimed at boosting wheat production within the country’s borders.

The newly unveiled development plan with a span from 2024 to 2028 is designed to strategically reduce Cameroon’s dependence on cereal imports by a significant margin.

Capitalising on the economic benefit, the decision seeks to encourage local producers and fight against cereal insecurity in the country.

With the said target, experts say the move underscores government’s plan to promote local processing of cereal and improve the revenue of home-based industries.

According to statistics provided by the agriculture ministry, wheat ranks as the second most consumed cereal in Cameroon.

The cereal trails maize with approximately 900 thousand tons consumed annually.

The ambitious development plan to be funded by the government and its development partners is valued at 417 billion FCFA. It has as objective to revitalise wheat production and processing by the end of this stipulated period.