Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for kindly accepting the invitation sent to you. It is a real pleasure for me to speak on this solemn occasion, to inform national and international opinion that Cameroon is organising the second edition of the International Agri-food Industry Show of Yaoundé, from 2 to 8 April 2013.
Indeed, under the high patronage of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, this event is a biennial meeting reserved for professionals in the agri-food industry. The aim of SIALY is therefore to promote Cameroonian inventions and know-how in the agri-food field. It is also the ideal place to present Cameroonian culture and tourism, potential sources of foreign currency, to the world.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Cameroonian industry accounts for about a third of gross domestic product and employs around 15% of the working population. The manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP has stagnated for years at around 11% and essentially covers the needs of the local market.
The agro-industrial sector, which processes agricultural products into semi-finished and finished products, accounts for more than 33% of industrial production, 22.2% of industrial value added and nearly 6% of exports.
And yet Cameroon’s agricultural potential offers a good foundation for the development of agro-industry, which has traditionally always been one of the most important links in the national manufacturing sector. Given the great potential our country offers, it is fitting to highlight what has already been done and to reflect on adopting new policies to boost this important part of the national economy. SIALY is therefore an ideal setting for developing business opportunities between foreign investors and agricultural processing project developers, and between agro-industrial project developers and financing bodies.
SIALY was also designed to serve as an interface between operators in the agri-food industry and the public authorities.
As such, it gives agro-industrialists the opportunity to showcase their know-how, which may be supported by the State.
All players in the sector will be brought together to discuss issues related to the agri-food industry. The resolutions from this work could serve as a working basis for the public authorities, in order to encourage the creation of production structures and markets, and ultimately to create the wealth needed to revive the national economy.
For its part, the Government has undertaken actions to promote this sector, which has a high potential for employment and can, in time, create manufacturing value added. In order to bring about predominant manufacturing production that would lead to a sharp increase in GDP of around 23 to 24%, MINMIDT has identified promising sectors to turn into so-called structuring projects.
The first sector identified today is palm oil, developed by the APROCOM-PH project, the oil palm sector competitiveness project. The cotton/textile sector is also an important part of the Cameroonian economy.
To boost this sector, the Government is putting in place a package of measures to encourage local processing of at least 30% of cotton production by 2015. These measures include:
– upstream control and risk minimisation on the one hand, the internationalisation of the cotton trade, and on the other, the continuous integration of the textile and clothing industry;
– the industrial restructuring of spinning and weaving units and, finally, the migration of clothing and apparel activity from the informal to the formal sector.
Other promising sectors are also being restructured and developed with various private partners. These include maize, cassava, rubber and sugar cane.
The latter is currently being developed and is well advanced under the Bertoua-Batouri sugar project, covering nearly 20,000 hectares.
These agro-industrial projects are backed by a policy to develop the fertiliser sector, notably through the construction of a chemical fertiliser plant.
This show therefore comes at the right time to reflect on other development strategies for the sector. On the programme: a forum on agri-food topics, a trade fair showcasing agri-food products and inventions resulting from research, cultural entertainment and a tourist excursion to showcase our cultural heritage to foreigners. There will also be B2B meetings between professionals in the sector to forge fruitful partnerships on the one hand and, on the other, to find solutions for the development of the agri-food industry.
SIALY 2013 will be attended by agri-food equipment suppliers, processing industries, project developers, financing bodies, research institutes, trading companies,
higher education institutions, inventors and innovators. Several foreign countries have begun to express their wish to take part in the show.
We will inform you of their exact number in the coming days.
All that remains is for me to invite you, ladies and gentlemen, to come from 2 to 8 April 2013 to the esplanade of Yaoundé City Hall to honour SIALY 2013 with your presence.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, this is the information we wanted to share with you today. It is now up to you to bring it to the attention of the public, who should also be made aware of the added value that organising this important event can bring to our country’s economy.
Finally, allow me to introduce Mrs Bibiane Motto, promoter of the SIALY project and Managing Director of the Reflex communication agency, exclusive manager of SIALY 2013.
This is the organisation that will support the Government for this event. It will certainly also be pleased to answer your questions.
Thank you for your kind attention.