The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) March 13, reached an agreement to prepare the ground work for an imminent general census on agro-pastoral production in the country.

MINADER boss, Essimi Menye and the Resident Representative of FAO in Cameroon, Mai Moussa Abari signed the agreement in the presence of other agro-pastoral stakeholders in the country.

According to the terms of the agreement, FAO will offer preparatory assistance for the census through its expertise in the sector as well as organise field visits for stakeholders in countries where agro-pastoral statistics are well brought out and regularly updated.

Between 2014 and 2016 when the exercise is expected to span, administrative procedures, technical documents and an adapted methodology will be put in place to ease the inventory when it will be finally launched. All of this is estimated to cost 443,000 US dollars (about FCFA 209,097,335.36).

Speaking during the ceremony, Minister Essimi Menye said Cameroon is not only lagging behind in agro-pastoral statistics but that even where some exist; they are outmoded and so ill-adapted for better decision-making. He said with the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper which targets sustainable agriculture, there is need to have updated statistics to plan, follow up and evaluate agro-pastoral activities.

While pledging his institution’s willingness to stand by Cameroon and capability to live up to the billing so that the latter gets good agro-pastoral statistics, Mai Moussa Abari, said statistics in growth-induced sectors as agriculture and livestock remain imperative for a country like Cameroon that has negotiated an irreversible bend towards emergence with agriculture and livestock as solid bases.