Cameroon supports onion production with youth funding

Youth-led cooperatives in Cameroon’s North and Far North regions have received CFA 60 million (about US$107,000) to support investments in onion production.

The funding was distributed on July 13 in Garoua under a memorandum of understanding between the Commodity Value Chain Development Support Project Phase II (PADFA II) and the Programme for the Consolidation and Sustainability of Agropastoral Activities (PCP-ACEFA). The Regional Delegates of Agriculture and Rural Development for the North and Far North regions, together with PCP-ACEFA National Coordinator Dr. Bouba Moumini, attended the ceremony.

According to program officials, the funding is intended to help young producers expand production, improve incomes, and strengthen the operations of their cooperatives. Onions have been identified as a priority crop because of their role in domestic food supply and import substitution.

PADFA II, financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of Cameroon, supports about 32,000 rural households in the North, Far North, West, and North-West regions. The program works with farmer cooperatives to increase onion production, improve market access, and strengthen production systems.

Project documents show PADFA II plans to support the development of 600 hectares of onion production while also improving storage and marketing infrastructure.

PCP-ACEFA, which has operated nationwide since 2008, reports that more than 6,700 agricultural projects have received subsidies totaling more than CFA 26.4 billion (about US$47.1 million). The program also says it supports more than 255,000 family agro-pastoral farms, with beneficiary evaluations reporting production and income increases of between 20 and 30 per cent after several years of support.