Rural development: FCFA 110 Billion to boost agriculture

Four main programmes will be prioritised in 2016 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development using its FCFA 110 billion budgetary allocation if approved by the National Assembly. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Henri Eyebe Ayissi, defended the draft budget by telling members of Committee on Finance and the Budget of the National Assembly on November 26, 2015 that his ministry is committed to execute the budget through actions and activities that have a significant impact on growth, food security, employment, exports and living standards of farmers. The 2016 draft budget experiences an increase compared to the FCFA 107.9 billion package in 2015.  

While pursuing the implementation of projects to be executed under the Three-year Emergency Plan to boost growth, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will draw inspiration from President Paul Biya’s agriculture policy speech delivered during the 2011 Agro-Pastoral Show in Ebolowa, South Region. Thus, the four programmes to be implemented aim at ensuring governance and institutional support in the agricultural and rural development, improving productivity and competitiveness of the agricultural sector, modernising rural infrastructure and agricultural production while promoting sustainable management of natural resources specific to agriculture.