CAMEROON (10 February)
Aggregate cereal production in 2004 has been estimated at about 1.5 million tonnes, some 11 percent above average, following generally favourable growing conditions during the rainy season.
The overall food supply situation is satisfactory. Prices have been mostly stable across the country, following adequate food supply and reduced cross-border export to Nigeria, due mainly to relatively weak Naira and appreciated Franc CFA.
In a bid to diversify the economy in view of declining oil production, the Government launched recently a five-year campaign to revamp the cocoa sector and boost output to 200 000 tonnes per year. 160 000 tonnes of cocoa have been produced in 2003/04 in Cameroon, where between one million and two million people depend directly or indirectly on the cocoa sector.