Cameroon Imports CFAF 268.7 Billion in Rice. Can Local Producers Close the Gap?
Cameroon spent CFAF 268.7 billion importing rice in 2025. That was less than the CFAF 318.6 billion recorded in 2024, but it remains a substantial bill for a country working to expand domestic food production.
The figures give fresh context to a discussion on CRTV’s Scènes de Presse, featuring journalist Dr SOMB LINGOM and Professor ALIDOU MOHAMADOU, Director of the National Higher Polytechnic School of the University of Maroua. The exchange examined the relationship between training and employment, local production and the visibility of products made in Cameroon.
The question behind the discussion is familiar to farmers, entrepreneurs and policymakers: if Cameroon has young people developing ideas and the capacity to produce more food locally, why does imported rice continue to occupy such a large place in the market?
The answer is not simply that local producers need to work harder. Rice production depends on land, irrigation, seeds, equipment, processing, financing, transport and reliable access to buyers. Young entrepreneurs may bring new ideas to the sector, but turning those ideas into businesses requires an environment in which they can produce competitively and sell consistently.
The rice import bill is falling, but dependence remains high
According to Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics, rice imports cost CFAF 318.6 billion in 2024, an increase of 58.6% over 2023. The bill fell to CFAF 268.7 billion in 2025, a reduction of 15.6%, according to figures published in April 2026 based on the institute’s foreign trade statistics.
The decline is encouraging, but it does not mean Cameroon has become self-sufficient in rice. Imports still accounted for 5.1% of the country’s total import expenditure in 2025.
The figures also show why rice matters beyond the agricultural sector. Importing a staple food on this scale creates demand for foreign suppliers and uses foreign exchange that could otherwise support other purchases. At the same time, imported rice supplies consumers and businesses that depend on predictable volumes and prices.
Reducing that dependence requires local rice to be available in sufficient quantities, at competitive prices and at a quality consumers are willing to buy.
It is not enough to increase production during one season. Farmers and processors must be able to supply the market repeatedly, including when demand rises or weather conditions affect harvests.
Local production needs a market, not just a harvest
Cameroon has already invested in programmes intended to strengthen domestic rice production. The National Rice Sector Development Strategy, adopted in 2023, was designed to address constraints across the value chain and reduce reliance on imported rice.
Government planning has set ambitious production targets. Figures reported in April 2026 indicated that national production was expected to increase from 140,710 tonnes in 2024 to 460,000 tonnes in 2027, with a longer-term target of 750,000 tonnes by 2030.
These are targets, not confirmed production outcomes. Reaching them will require progress across several stages of the rice business.
Farmers need access to suitable land, improved seeds, water, fertilisers and machinery. After harvesting, paddy rice must be dried, milled, graded, stored and transported. Poor handling at any of these stages can reduce the quality and quantity of rice that reaches consumers.
Processing also affects competitiveness. If local rice contains too many impurities, varies significantly in quality or is packaged inconsistently, buyers may prefer imported alternatives even when domestic production is available.
For entrepreneurs, these gaps can represent business opportunities. A young company does not necessarily need to own a large rice farm to enter the industry. It could specialise in milling, packaging, storage, transport, agricultural equipment services or digital links between farmers and buyers.
The commercial opportunity lies in solving a real problem within the supply chain, not simply producing rice and hoping the market will absorb it.
What does training have to do with employment?
The discussion on Scènes de Presse also raised the question of how training connects to employment and local production.
Agricultural education can prepare young people for work in farming, engineering, food processing, logistics, quality control and agribusiness management. But the link between education and employment becomes stronger when students can apply what they learn to actual production and market challenges.
For rice, that could mean developing affordable irrigation systems, improving post-harvest equipment, building tools for farm recordkeeping or helping processors manage quality more consistently.
Technical institutions can contribute by connecting students with farmers, cooperatives, processors and businesses. Practical projects can expose students to the constraints that do not always appear in a classroom: limited working capital, unreliable power, expensive transport and buyers who expect consistent quality.
Entrepreneurship training also needs to cover the business side. A promising agricultural idea still needs a customer, a pricing model, a supply plan and a realistic estimate of operating costs.
For graduates considering self-employment, this is an important distinction. Innovation is not only about inventing new technology. It can also involve organising an existing value chain more efficiently or making a service more affordable to farmers.
Young entrepreneurs need access to the whole value chain
Rice offers several possible entry points for young businesses, particularly where existing producers lack equipment, market connections or reliable services.
Processing and packaging: Small and medium-sized businesses can explore milling, sorting, packaging and branding local rice. Their success will depend on consistent supply, quality standards and distribution.
Storage and post-harvest services: Better drying and storage can reduce losses and help producers preserve the quality of their harvest. These services can also help farmers avoid selling immediately when market prices are unfavourable.
Farm technology: Entrepreneurs with technical skills can develop or adapt tools for irrigation, equipment maintenance, farm data collection and production planning. Solutions need to be affordable and suited to local operating conditions.
Market access: Digital platforms, aggregation services and direct commercial relationships can connect farmers with processors, retailers and institutional buyers. The challenge is building trust and ensuring that transactions result in timely payment and reliable delivery.
Agricultural services: Seed distribution, soil testing, equipment rental and technical support can create businesses that serve multiple producers rather than depending on a single farm.
None of these opportunities guarantees profit. Each requires research into local demand, costs, competition and the ability of customers to pay. But they show that the rice sector can create employment beyond cultivation alone.
Connecting farmers to buyers is part of the solution
Production increases will have limited value if farmers cannot sell their harvest at a sustainable price.
In April 2026, the Agricultural Value Chain Development Support Project Phase II (PADFA II) brought together 40 rice value-chain participants from Cameroon’s North and Far North regions at a workshop in Maroua. The initiative sought to strengthen commercial relationships among seed producers, rice farmers, processors and buyers.
The programme also worked to connect cooperatives with local processing units and purchasers, with discussions aimed at establishing business contracts.
This type of coordination matters because agricultural markets often involve several independent actors. Farmers need buyers, processors need raw materials, and retailers need products that arrive in the right quantity and condition.
Stronger commercial relationships can make supply more predictable and reduce the uncertainty faced by businesses investing in equipment or expanding production.
For young entrepreneurs, these networks can be as important as technical knowledge. Access to a reliable supplier or a committed buyer may determine whether a business can grow beyond a small pilot.
The price and quality test
Imported rice is already available through established distribution networks. Local producers therefore need to compete on the factors consumers care about, including price, taste, cleanliness, cooking characteristics, packaging and availability.
There is room for locally produced rice to build customer loyalty, but patriotic messaging alone cannot sustain demand if the product is expensive or difficult to find.
Producers and processors need to understand what different buyers want. Households, restaurants, retailers and institutional kitchens may have different preferences and purchasing requirements.
Businesses can respond by improving grading, communicating product origin clearly, maintaining consistent packaging and developing dependable distribution. Retailers also need confidence that they can restock products when customers return.
Government support can help address infrastructure and financing constraints, but local businesses must still demonstrate that they can meet market expectations.
Final Thoughts
The conversation on Scènes de Presse brings attention to a practical economic question: how can Cameroon connect the skills of its young people with the need to produce more of what the country consumes?
The reduction in the rice import bill in 2025 is a positive development, but imports remain substantial. Sustained progress will depend on more than production targets. Farmers need better inputs and infrastructure, processors need reliable supplies, and businesses need customers who can buy local rice at competitive prices.
Young people have opportunities across this value chain, from technology and equipment to storage, processing and distribution. Turning those opportunities into jobs will require stronger links between technical training, commercial experience and the realities of the market.
For Cameroon, the goal is not simply to replace imported rice with local rice. It is to build a domestic industry that can supply consumers reliably, support viable businesses and give more people a reason to earn a living from agriculture.
