To boost food security: ANTIC engages SW farmers on resilient digital agric ecosystem.

Discussions began Tuesday, August 12, 2026, in Limbe. The exchanges are part of a three-day Digital Agriculture Forum, which focused on Agriculture 4.0, AI in agriculture, big data, drone technology, digital finance, and the protection of agricultural data.

ANTIC Director General, Prof Ebot Ebot Enaw, described the forum as timely, given the vital role agriculture plays in the country’s economy. 

Holding under the theme: “Harnessing Digital Technologies for Sustainable Agricultural Transformation and Food Security in Cameroon”, he highlighted the crucial role that technology plays in the agriculture sector. 

“Agriculture employs a substantial share of the labour force, contributes approximately 16 to 18 percent of the country's GDP, and provides livelihoods for millions of Cameroonians, particularly in rural communities,” Prof Ebot Ebot noted.

The ANTIC boss pointed out that despite agriculture’s potential, persistent challenges, such as climate change, conflicts in production areas, poor infrastructure, limited access to finance and markets, and massive post-harvest losses continue crippling the sector. 

Using statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, he noted that up to 40 percent of fruits, vegetables and tubers in Cameroon are lost before reaching consumers, due to poor handling, storage and transportation. 

The losses, he said, directly cut farmers’ incomes and food availability at a time more than 2.8 million people in the country are experiencing severe food insecurity.

As a result, he said technology provides a unique opportunity to overcome such challenges. 

“By leveraging digital technologies such as precision agriculture, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, digital advisory services, and smart supply chain management, Cameroon can increase agricultural productivity, reduce food losses, improve market access, and strengthen national food security,” he explained.

He outlined key innovations, with potential to transform farming notably mobile apps for weather and market prices, drones and satellite imagery for crop monitoring, AI for disease detection and yield prediction, connected sensors for irrigation and livestock, and digital financial services for credit, insurance and payments. 

Prof Ebot stressed that digital technologies are no longer optional, but an indispensable tool for transforming modern agriculture.

To farmers, Prof Ebot Ebot warned that as farms become digital, they also become targets, insisting that a single cyber incident could interrupt production, disrupt supply chains, delay financial transactions, or expose farmers and agricultural institutions to significant financial and operational losses. 

To allay the worry, he stressed that cybersecurity, privacy and resilience, must be integrated from the design stage of farms. He announced that ANTIC is ready to support farmers adopt digital tools.

The South West Regional Director of ANTIC, Egbe Bisong Divine, pointed to specific constraints faced by farmers in the Region. 

Many farmers, he said, lack timely information to make informed decisions, financial services platforms and advisory services to support their initiatives. 

Egbe Bisong, however, said, the presence of tech companies offers a way out for farmers to manage such challenges. 

“Mobile applications, artificial intelligence, and data analytics come in to drive increased productivity, reduce losses, and enable farmers to access markets they never had before,” he said.

The forum also served as an exhibition space for start-ups in both technology and finance to display their services to farmers and other investors. 

Laye Mbunkur, representative of ActivSpaces, the African Centre for Technology Innovation and Ventures, said his incubation hub came with start-ups working directly with farmers.

“We came with start-ups in Digital Financing: to enable farmers to store money digitally, access loans digitally. Farm Management tools to track expenses and income. E-commerce platforms for farmers to list their products online to reach buyers. And Maker Spaces with drone technology and other devices to farmers’ increase productivity,” he told reporters.

Given the crucial importance of the forum, Prof Ebot Ebot has urged participants to go beyond talks to actions, noting that the success of digital agriculture must not be measured solely by technological innovation, but by its impact on people. 

He has encouraged farmers to use the skills and digital tools gained through the platform to increase productivity and build greater resilience. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3878 of Friday August 14, 2026