The first Steering Committee meeting of the Rice Value Chain Development Project (RVCDP) has taken place in Yaounde, with a resolve by stakeholders to put all hands on deck to ensure the launching of the project before the end of the first quarter of 2023. The meeting took place on Thursday, 19 January 2023, at the Conference hall of United Hotel in Yaounde under the patronage of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), Minister Gabriel Mbairobe, President of the steering Committee of the RVCDP.
Opening the session, Minister Mbairobe underscored the importance of rice in food and nutrition security in Cameroon, being the 3rd most consumed cereal in the country. Government interest in the RVCDP could therefore not be overemphasized. The MINADER boss expressed satisfaction at the groundwork already done by the project managers and hoped that the project’s actions will enable the government achieve its rice production objectives which include producing approximately 750,000 tonnes in 2030, with the goal of becoming a net exporter of rice in the sub-region. He enjoined the Committee members to play their role, each, in their areas of competence, in accompanying the Government of Cameroon in its mission to improve on the livelihood of its people. He was positive that the deliberations will set the pace for a successful achievement of all the goals set by the project.
Deliberations were led by Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique, Governor of the North West Region, Vice-President of the Steering Committee of the RVCDP, who urged Committee members to make valuable contributions for the smooth kick-off and subsequent success of the project.
Taking the rostrum, the National Coordinator of the project, who also doubles as the Secretary of the steering Committee, Mr. Muluh Gregory Nguh, treated the Committee to a presentation of the project. According to him, the project has as main objective, to contribute to rice self-sufficiency, enhance economic growth an improve household incomes through improved production, processing, marketing and support for private sector participation in the rice value chain. The project is designed to begin in the North West, West and Far North Regions of Cameroon before extending to the other 7 regions of the country.
The Committee also followed presentations on the Annual Work Plan and Budget of the project and adopted both the Administrative, Procurement and Accounting Manual of procedures and the Procurement plan of the RVCDP. The Committee was furthermore updated on the Acquisition of land for the PMU/PIU Offices and the situation of other donors: KUWAIT Fund, BADEA, OPEC Fund and SAUDI Fund. The Committee approved the annual work of plan and budget for 2023 which stands at 3,786,740,000FCFA balanced in revenue and expenditure. The project will be implemented for 5 years with effect from when the financial agreement shall be declared effective.