• Cameroon and Israeli firm Ekobell plan to develop 10,000 hectares of rainfed rice fields in the north.

• The €150 million project aims to produce 31,289 tons of milled rice within three years.

• The initiative is part of a broader strategy to triple national rice output by 2027.

Cameroon’s government has signed an agreement with the Israeli company Ekobell to develop 10,000 hectares of rainfed rice fields in the country’s northern region. Valued at €150 million (around CFA98.4 billion), the agricultural project is expected to raise national rice production and strengthen the sector in this area.

According to project projections, the three-year program should produce 46,700 tons of paddy rice, including 31,289 tons of milled rice. At full capacity, this output would account for nearly 18% of Cameroon’s current production of high-quality milled rice.

The planned fields will be spread across several locations, including Sirdjam and Pola in the North region, as well as Mbé in the Adamawa region. The initiative is expected to involve around 8,000 farmers and create numerous indirect jobs in farming, logistics, and rice processing activities.

The project builds on technical studies conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from the African Development Bank. The studies were carried out under a broader program aimed at improving water resource use for agropastoral and fisheries activities in Cameroon’s Far North.

The initiative reflects the government’s broader ambition to significantly increase national rice production. According to the country’s Medium-Term Economic and Budgetary Framework for 2025–2027, Cameroon aims to triple production from 140,710 tons in 2024 to about 460,000 tons by 2027.

Reaching this milestone would mark an important step toward the longer-term target of 750,000 tons by 2030, which authorities estimate would bring the country close to 97% self-sufficiency. This goal is part of the national rice sector development strategy, backed by a total budget of around CFA385 billion.

Despite these investments and ongoing projects, national output is still expected to fall short of domestic demand. Rice consumption, estimated at 576,949 tons as early as 2020, continues to rise as a result of population growth and changing eating habits.

Amina Malloum, Business in Cameroon