Historical View of Rice Production in Cameroon

Rice has greatly impacted the Cameroon’s economy through its production and consumption rate in Cameroon. Meanwhile, it is one of the most consumed starchy product both international and nationwide. In 2022/23, about 520.4 million metric tons of rice were consumed worldwide. Meanwhile, Each Cameroonian consumes an average of 25 kg of milled rice per year.

In Cameroon, rice cultivation can be traced far back from 1960, Cameroon has enjoyed better rates of growth in the rice sector than most other countries. It has shown an increasing growth amount of production from 1960 to 1985, in terms of cultivated areas and grain yields.

However, an economic crisis and the devaluation of the Franc CFA local currency in 1994, led to the drop in rice prices. Cameroon went from rice self-sufficiency to dependence on imports.

Today, local companies and small business owners are at the forefront of rice production which overwhelm them resulting to 93% of total output. In 2005, the production supplied only 13% of Cameroonian consumption. Since the difference in demand is made up by imports which are continually increasing. Until this year, the President decided to venture on Import Substitution with the 2024-2026 plan.

Zones of Rice Cultivation in Cameroon

Cameroon is divided into 10 administrative regions covering four main geographical area. Firstly, the western lowlands, which extend along the Gulf of Guinea coast. Secondly, the western highlands which are characterize of hilly, forested volcanic mountains. thirdly, the central region, commonly known as the Francophone zone and extends eastward to the border of Central African Republic.  And last but not the least, the northern region, which produce the highest quantity of rice and slopes down to the Chad Basin.

The Western Highlands (North-West and West Provinces) and the Northern region (North and Far-North Provinces) are the highest rice producers. Notwithstanding, it is also found on smaller areas in the Centre, South-East and East Provinces. The major rice cultivation projects in the country are in Maroua and Kousseri in the Far North region. While in North-West region, Ndop stands the ground.

Rice Crop Management In Cameroon

Land Preparation

Cultivation initially starts from the months of June or July. The ground is prepared earlier and involves operations such as tillage and smoothing operations prior to harvest. Today, some areas make the use of tractors, disc ploughs and land-plane as a cultivation methods. In the Far-North Province, farmers use animal for draught power. While in the Western Highland, farmers still use handheld hoes and cutlasses to till the soil.

Sowing

Seedbeds are made ready for planting and are planted twice yearly. During the rainy season, that is June/July, farmers set out to do the first planting while second one is been done in January.

Irrigation and Water Management

In modern rice farms, the requirement for water is met mainly by irrigation, and to a small extent, by rainfall. Huge plantations make use of tractors or pipes to spread water while smaller farms do it handy or cultivate in swampy areas.

Fertilization

Traditionally, most rice farms are grown following the slash-and-burn shifting cultivation which requires no chemical fertilizers. Meanwhile, other farmers use fertilizer to increase productivity.

Weed Management

Weeding generally done between the month of August/September for the main season. Meanwhile for off seasons, it is carried out in March/April. Bigger plantations use spraying of glyphosate while smaller farms weed off the grass by hand.

Harvesting

The first planting is harvested in November/December and the second in May/June. Fields are drained about 7 to 10 days prior to harvesting.

Storage and Processing

After the harvest, the panicles are piled in the field 2 to 3days after. Thereafter, they carried to warehouses or storage points for processing.

Distribution

There are two basic types of marketing chains in Cameroon. Firstly, SEMRY and UNVDA is go directly to farms and purchase the rice from farmers. Secondly, rural marketers buy in small quantities to sell.

Rice Brands Made in Cameroon

• Ndop Rice
• Bijou
• Mémé Cassé
• Logone Riz Yagoua
• Riz Great Valley
• Irasa
• Mbanga Rice
• UHNDA White Natural Rice
• Riz Essekou

Rice production has contributed 43% to the Gross Domestic Product development of Cameroon. Also, this sector contributes more than 25% of the total exports earnings and 45% of government revenue, while providing for most of the country’s food requirement.