FCFA 7 billion allocated for agricultural markets in Cameroon

One year after its creation, the project investment and development of agricultural markets (PIDMA) has been through all validation steps, with the preparatory phases and funding.

The time is now to great achievements, which will start January 2015 according to Essimi Menye, Minister of Agriculture and rural development (Minader).

He chaired Tuesday in Yaoundé, the second meeting of the steering of the project Committee, devoted to the review of the action plan and the validation of the budget for the first year of activities.

"In the 2015 fiscal year, in fact, PIDMA will have a budget that will turn around 7 billion but without a ceiling. That is if we can carry out activities between 10 and 12 billion, the World Bank is ready to finance", revealed Minader.

Opportunity to recall that in the context of this project, the Government of Cameroon received precisely a financing agreement from the World Bank to the tune of 50 billion F, to run over five years.

It is also noted that the PIDMA is mainly based on agricultural cooperatives, which will sign contracts of partnership with agro-industrial companies to provide them with quality products in large quantities. Only products like cassava, maize and sorghum are concerned for the moment.

As concerns actions to be carried out in 2015, Essimi Menye talked about lots of training, firstly in creation and management of cooperative. Thus Minader has set up a team that must pass through all production areas, in order to mobilize people and help them create their cooperative themselves, in accordance with the OHADA law.

"In this spirit, we will establish at the cooperatives training centre, Ebolowa and cooperative school in Bamenda where the executives of cooperatives and their members will be trained," said the Minister.

Essimi Menye recommended, furthermore, that cooperatives are erected at the communal level. "We want cooperatives having a territorial basis, with known actors in the field and which will deal with agro-industries and the challenges that will prevail".

Other actions include the financing of five cooperatives in good standing, the rehabilitation of 125 Km of rural roads, seed production, assistance in implementing treatment and processing plants.