Cameroon is hosting a forum to discuss agricultural financing in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is the first-ever regional forum on agricultural and rural finance.
Experts from 13 countries in West and Central Africa are set to discuss ways to source funds for the development of the agro-pastoral and fishery sectors. Gabriel Mbairobe ‘s Cameroon’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, presided at the opening ceremony and said that the forum provides a platform for all stakeholders to share possible actions to finance rural agriculture
Agriculture in Africa
“It is imperative that governments and NGOs work to ensure that farmers and producers have the required funds to boost production in rural areas where poverty is still a big problem. It is imperative that governments and NGOs work to ensure that farmers and producers have the required funds to boost production in rural areas where poverty is still a big problem,” said the Ghanaian expert Mark Kuma, one of 400 delegates attending the forum.
Agriculture in Africa has a massive social and economic footprint. More than 60% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa is smallholder farmers, while about 23% of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP comes from agriculture.
In a recent analysis, it was determined that Africa could produce two to three times more cereals and grains which would add 20% more cereals and grains to the current worldwide 2.6 billion tons of output. Similar increases could be seen in the production of horticulture crops and livestock.
