According to the Minister of Commerce, this ban is intended to guarantee the availability of these foodstuffs in local markets.
Grain prices are rising in markets in the Far North region. Inflation caused by "a low availability of these products on local markets caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. A context that disrupts the import of certain products and even the costs of sea freight. This means that there is enormous pressure on local products that are already not very important in terms of sufficient quantity at all times and at attractive prices," the Cameroon Tribune reported.
To this end, to guarantee the availability of these consumer products, the Minister of Commerce, Luc Magloire Atangana in a correspondence addressed to the governor of the Far North prohibits the export of cereals in this part of the country. "The government is taking these steps to ensure that these products will be available to people in the region before considering exporting them if possible, but after local consumers are satisfied first. "Said Boubakary Abdoulaye, regional delegate of Trade for the Far North to the state newspaper.
According to a report published on 3 November 2021 by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in Logone and Chari, during the last agricultural season, drought significantly affected crops in eight out of ten districts. Seeded areas have been reduced by 43% compared to 2020, with a greater impact on maize cultivation.
