Cameroon, FAO sign two accords

Cameroon and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations have reinforced bilateral ties by signing two agreements on Friday September 4, 2015 in Yaounde.

The first accord signed between Cameroon’s Minister of External Relations, Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo and the FAO Director General, José Graziano da Silva, was on the revised Headquarters and expanded liaison office of the FAO for Central Africa in Yaounde and the second on creating a 20 million Dollar five-year partnership programme signed between the FAO Director General and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Essimi Menye. The partnership programme aims at promoting agricultural development in Cameroon.

The three-day official visit of the FAO’s Director General to Cameroon which ended over the weekend, provided the occasion for both parties to share information in the area of food security and sustainable development. During a working session at the ministry of External Relations, attended by seven cabinet ministers’ side-by-side with FAO officials, Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo told the august guest that in spite the difficulties the country is going through, Cameroon has been able to make remarkable strides in improving food security.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Essimi Menye corroborated his colleague and added that the country has for the past three years embarked on the development of agriculture at different levels hence the second-generation agriculture which aims at qualitative and quantitative agricultural productions in order to enhance development in Cameroon and create jobs.

The FAO Director General expressed satisfaction for Cameroon’s commitment to food security and rural development while lauding the country for successful attainment of the Millennium Development Goal by halving hunger by 2015. The partnership will focus on national priorities as set forth in the FAO Country Programming Framework for Cameroon.

Priorities include implementing national strategies to boost rural growth, promoting agricultural jobs for youth and women, and developing and implementing policies and strategies to build the resilience of rural populations to disasters and crises.

According to the External Relation Minister, the partnership will not only help the country enhance its agricultural development but also benefit other countries in the sub-region through south-south cooperation.