Government and some non-governmental organisations have held discussions on how to boost rice and onion production and maximize economic benefits from the food stuffs.

This was during a four-day capacity building workshop in Bafoussam presided at by the Secretary General in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Jean Claude Eko'o Akouafane. He launched a strong appeal to the selected NGOs to partner with government in its fight against poverty, increase household income and improve food security for the population through the development of the rice and onion sectors. This was on September 19.

The project placed under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) and sponsored by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will be supervised by "Commodity Value-chain Development Support project," PADFA.

Opening the four-day workshop the MINADER S.G said after the ministry organised consultation and communication talks on development policy on the increase production of the rice and onion sectors with their partners, it was time for the implementation phase that will now benefit the population concerned. The workshop, he added, was aimed at providing basic knowledge to the four chosen NGOs, selected from four Regions of the country (Far North, North, North West and West ),adding that these NGOs will bring in expert knowledge in rice and onion production to the farmers. Jean Claude Eko'o Akouafane disclosed that at the end of the workshop, the NGOs would join the rice and onion farmers to seek ways of improving their production capacities.