The Project Development and Investment in Agricultural Markets (Pidma), which was funded to the tune of 50 billion FCFA by the World Bank, has not begun its project since its launch more than one year ago.

This was revealed by the World Bank team during a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture.

The origin of delays in the implementation of the project to help boost the production of maize, sorghum and cassava in Cameroon over the next five years to supply agro-industrial enterprises; is the poor structuring of cooperatives that should benefit from funding under this project, sources revealed.

Yet agribusiness companies such as Guinness, the local subsidiary of Diageo, Nestlé or Cameroon, rely heavily on this project to reduce imports of raw materials; by sourcing directly from producers of maize and cassava funded by Pidma.