2024-04-01 22:24:00
Covid-19 crisis, war in Ukraine, climate change… Different factors have had an impact on the availability and prices of cereals in recent years. To limit dependence on food imports, Cameroon has initiated a three-year import-substitution plan. It’s regarding producing locally what can be produced instead of importing. But despite a budget of more than 114 billion FCFA (170 million euros), the implementation of this policy is still struggling to take off.
Develop local production to limit imports, entrepreneur Bertin Tchoffo is convinced. “ When the President of the Republic made his speech and expressed the desire to support import substitution, we immediately did not hesitate, remembers the boss. The next day, I can assure you, my teams and I did what was necessary to start the cassava fields. »
The idea of the director of Pafic: substitute some of the wheat flour used in Cameroonian pastry and bakery by cassava flour. “ Deep down, I knew that it was promising like everything in the agri-food sector. », he explains. To do this, he is embarking on a major project of 2,000 hectares of cassava production. He even designed machines suitable for grinding tubers.
Private initiatives encouraged
A private initiative, but encouraged by the authorities, he assures. “ I will take the example of the Minister of Commerce. As soon as the first bags of flour came out, two days later, he called a meeting with all the pastry chefs in the city of Yaoundé, presents Bertin Tchoffo. We presented the product and gave them the products to do the tests. And he gave us a strategic position on Boulevard du 20 Mai to exhibit this cassava bread. The Minister of Commerce is doing everything in his power to make this flour and push bakers to put this flour in bread. »
Despite the political will and the availability of flour, everything is not yet won. “ Effectively, [les débuts] are still a little shy but we are already seeing large groups of pastry chefs placing large orders. In terms of tonnes, not even in terms of bags “, he rejoices.
Reluctance to change
In the field of bread flours, the links in the sector and their interests are large, which can explain certain reluctance. “ From the readings that I have done, I have understood that indeed the sector itself, in particular all that is flour milling, etc., does not have much interest in things changing, notes Thierry Leroy, researcher at CIRAD, regional director for Central Africa based in Cameroon. Finally, if we tell them, you are going to take cassava flour which you are going to integrate followingwards at the bakers’ level… Perhaps there are balances to be found, but it is certain and it is logical that everyone defends his domain. »
The fixing of the price of cassava flour – as is the case for wheat flour – is still awaited. Other actions would be possible, according to the researcher: “ Already promote this production and already see with the bakery, with the bread manufacturing operators, how we can integrate it. Once the experimentation, we will say in the laboratory or in small quantities, has been carried out, it is necessary to scale up. »
The authorities are aware of the challenges encountered. The 2023 implementation report of the import-substitution policy highlights in particular the problem of isolation of production basins. Another observation: the low disbursement of allocated budgets, barely more than half of the amounts were spent last year.
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