News in Brief:
– Cameroon launched its 2024 agricultural campaign as it combats climate challenges and rising costs of fertilisers.
– Local farmers struggle with unpredictable weather patterns and a near 300% surge in urea prices since 2020.
Cameroon’s Minister of Agriculture, Gabriel Mbairobe, officially launched the 2024 agricultural season on April 5th in the country’s south. The ceremony highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by Cameroonian farmers, including climate change and rising input costs.
The agriculture minister, addressing farmers during the launch, said government recognised and appreciated their resilience despite the challenges posed by climate change, including floods and droughts.
Generally, farmers are facing increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, with both floods and droughts posing threats to crop yields and livestock production. Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, creating unfavorable conditions for agriculture.
Rising costs threaten yields
Beyond climate challenges, the 2024 campaign is grappling with significant increases in the cost of essential agricultural inputs, such as fertilisers and pesticides. The price of urea, a key fertiliser, has surged by nearly 300% since 2020, according to data from Gecam, the Cameroonian employers’ organisation (Groupment des Patronnes du Cameroun).
The global rise in input costs is attributed to the ongoing post-pandemic economic recovery and the war in Ukraine. Russia is a major supplier of fertiliser to Cameroon, holding a 43% market share compared to China’s 11%. Disruptions caused by the conflict have exacerbated the existing price hikes.
Cameroon’s fertiliser imports demonstrate the significant cost increases. In 2022, the country imported 129,600 tons of fertiliser at a cost of CFA66.4 billion, reflecting an 82% increase in spending compared to 2021. Despite importing a lower volume (203,324 tons) in 2021, Cameroon spent only CFA36.5 billion, highlighting the substantial price inflation.
Overall, the 2024 agricultural campaign in Cameroon will require resilience from farmers as they navigate climate uncertainties and a more expensive agricultural landscape.
