Yaounde, Cameroon Africa. (Cameroon News) – Makossa Banana: Cameroon, one of the main banana producing countries in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP) whose produce has the seal “Makossa Banana”, is striving to increase production from 300,000 tons per year, meet international standards and begin exportation to South East Asian countries, notably China.

The Vice Prime Minister in charge of Agriculture and Rural Development, Jean Nkuete said in Yaounde last Tuesday that banana represents five per cent of domestic brut produce in Cameroon, coming after petrol and wood.

Makossa Banana from Cameroon

Mr Nkuete opened the fifth session of the inter-governmental experts meeting on the follow up and analysis of the banana and tropical fruits market considering their economic importance and technical feasibility.

The experts in the Yaounde meeting have to seek ways of enabling banana and tropical fruits meet international norms and standards.

The banana sector the Vice Prime Minister disclosed, generates 12,000 direct jobs and 35,000 indirect jobs in the country.

The main industrial banana producers in Cameroon include the State-owned Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), as well as private enterprises that include the Mbanga Plantations Company and group of producers in Penja.

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) report published in 2010 reveal that the world’s annual banana production stands at 125 million tons, classified the eighth produce in the world and the fourth in developing countries. Banana production, the FAO report further states, generates FCFA 1,800 billion and feeds over 400 million people in the world.