Cameroon targets 6M tonnes of maize production by 2030
The program aims to support smallholder farmers, improve their access to financing and markets, introduce digital technologies, and attract private investment.
CAMEROON – Cameroon aims to increase annual maize production to 6 million tonnes by 2030 under the AgriConnect agricultural development initiative launched in partnership with the World Bank Group and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The target represents a 150% increase from the current production baseline of 2.4 million tonnes and forms part of the government’s broader strategy to strengthen food security, expand agro-processing and reduce dependence on food imports.
Launched in Yaoundé on October 21, 2026, AgriConnect outlines 24 planned interventions across eight agricultural value chains: maize, rice, cassava, oil palm, cocoa, soybeans, dairy, and fisheries and aquaculture.
According to IFAD, the programme requires an estimated US$1.87 billion in investment between 2026 and 2030 to improve agricultural productivity, strengthen infrastructure and attract private-sector participation.
Maize is a strategic crop in Cameroon, serving as a staple food and a key raw material for the brewing and livestock-feed industries.
National demand is estimated at approximately 2.8 million tonnes annually, compared with reported production of 2.4 million tonnes.
The resulting supply gap, alongside demand from industrial processors, creates opportunities to expand domestic cultivation and improve supply-chain efficiency.
The crop also supports rural livelihoods, with approximately six million people involved in its value chain, according to Business in Cameroon.
Increasing production could strengthen farmer incomes, create employment and improve the availability of raw materials for domestic manufacturers.
Under AgriConnect, the government and its development partners plan to address constraints affecting agricultural production by improving access to quality seeds, mechanization, irrigation, storage facilities, agricultural extension services, and financing.
The initiative also seeks to strengthen farmer organizations, improve market access, promote digital agricultural solutions and encourage commercially oriented smallholder production.
Beyond maize, Cameroon aims to produce 800,000 tonnes of palm oil annually by 2030, achieve a rice self-sufficiency rate of 55% and meet 60% of national milk demand through domestic production.
Fisheries and aquaculture output is targeted at 450,530 tonnes.
The programme also seeks to reduce Cameroon’s annual food import bill by 28%, from approximately US$1.6 billion to US$1.15 billion by 2030, through increased local production and processing.
Achieving the maize target will depend on mobilizing the required investment, improving access to agricultural inputs and infrastructure, and ensuring farmers have reliable markets for their harvests.
The government will also need to address competition from imported maize and strengthen storage and processing capacity to absorb higher output.
If implemented successfully, AgriConnect could position maize production as a stronger driver of Cameroon’s agricultural growth, industrial development, and food security by the end of the decade.
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