Government and AfDB signed the financing agreement in Yaounde last Friday September 7.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has offered, for free, 640,000 U.S. dollars (about FCFA 320 million) for the production of quality and quantity seeds in Cameroon by the country's Agricultural Research Institute for Development (IRAD).

Focus will be notably on maize, Irish potatoes, cassava, yams, cocoa, palm oil and young fish in the production regions of the Centre, North, North West, West, Littoral, Adamawa, South and South West. The Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi and the AfDB Resident Representative in Cameroon, Kane Racine signed the financing agreement for Cameroon and ADB respectively last Friday September 7. This was in the presence of senior officials of the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Scientific Research and Innovation who are to produce and vulgarise the seeds.

According to the technical factsheet of the project to be carried out in the five ecological zones in Cameroon, the production of basic seeds will be carried out by agronomic researchers of IRAD and in partnership with other stakeholders ensure the vulgarisation of the produced seeds while its follow up and evaluation will be done by an independent consultant.

The FCFA 320 million, it was said, will be disbursed in three instalments; 65 per cent, 25 per cent and 10 per cent for the first, second and third phases respectively.

Target is to produce 200,000 kg of maize in Ntui and Touborou in the Centre and North Regions, 240,000 kg of Irish potato seeds in Bambui and Dschang in the North West and West Regions, 3 million cassava cuttings in Njombe, Wakwa, Meyomessala, Ntui and Mbalmayo in the Littoral, Adamawa, South and Centre Regions, 200,000 yam seedlings in Ekona and Wakwa in the South West and Adamawa Regions as well as 10 hectares each of cocoa and palm oil seedlings in Mbalmayo and Dibamba of the Centre and Littoral Regions respectively.

While saluting the AfDB gesture, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi said the agricultural revolution that Cameroon is embracing passes through quality and quantity seeds.