Chapter 16. Enhancing cassava marketing and processing in Cameroon 533
F. Expanding intra-regional trade: strategies and actions
(i) Organizing field visits and trips between traders: Unfortunately, this activity was not considered
as a priority within the PNDRT and no field trip has been ever organized.
(ii) Rehabilitating border markets: PNDRT has built marketing and storage warehouses on ten border
markets, which has successfully enabled some traders and producers to better respond to regional
demand.
(iii) Market information systems and practicing on markets: Expansion of mobile phones enables
the functioning of rapid information-sharing on all CEMAC markets. If all CEMA countries were to be
connected to the Esoko network, this would allow one to have access to all useful market information
from all relevant places. IFAD, through IRCTM, has envisaged drawing on lessons from PNDRT experience
and applying them to all IFAD projects in the CEMAC region so to improve the functioning of market
information systems. But effective functioning is yet to be restored in Cameroon first.
(iv) Developing/Scaling up communication infrastructures (roads, telephone). In the base documents
of PNDRT, it was envisaged to devote one fourth of the overall budget to the setting and maintenance
of rural tracks and roads and to unlock production areas in order to decrease market transaction costs
and get closer to urban consumption centers, markets, and border markets. Those funds were to be
sourced from PPTE initiative but were difficult to mobilize. PNDRT had thus to focus its effort on the most
landlocked production areas located in the Center and Littoral regions. Facilitation of sub-regional and
intra-regional trade has already been discussed up to the level of prime ministers and presidents. Several
road infrastructure projects, including the one that seeks to connect capital cities of all CEMAC countries,
are to be executed or in progress, with financial and technical participation and assistance from several
donors such as World Bank, AfDB, or European Union.
(v) Reduction of non-tariff barriers for trans-border trade: Improving customs and customs’
administration and services, clearing procedures, anti-corruption policies and measures, harmonizing
bio-safety, sanitary and quality standards.
- Conclusion and general recommendations
In spite of a new focus on and a renewed interest in Cameroon’s policy strategies in agriculture and in the
cassava sector, most value chain stakeholders face challenging constraints and difficulties. This chapter
highlighted those stakeholder deficiencies, organizational and management failures, coordination
problems, and structural/infrastructural shortages, paramount to limit effective business expansion of
the value chain, while potential local and regional demand is large and substantial. This is reflected
in low farm yields and productivity, a lack of critical mass to ensure consistent supplies to market and
regular sourcing for marketing and processing, which altogether result in a low competitiveness of
cassava by-products onto local and international markets (in developed countries), and on industrial
marketing outlets, with respect to other locally-produced or imported cereals.
Specific objectives of agricultural development policies sought to improve structure and organization
of the value chain, standardize processes and quality of local production (complying with international
norms), disseminate information and promotion mechanisms (upstream and downstream), improve retail
markets and distribution networks (actual and potential markets), and expand financial arrangements
and products which are adapted to cassava production and marketing and to the capacities of the value
chain stakeholders.