Coffee and cotton producers are being forced to abandon these crops in favour of cassava, not only for their own consumption but also to buy soap and other necessities for their own survival. This is happening in the prefectures of Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-pendé, Lobaye.... where coffee and cotton production is in free fall. The State is incapable of compensating the producers for their losses.

Coffee producers are under enormous strain and often have to exchange their coffee for other crops. For example, in the Lobaye area the majority of the coffee producers’ children no longer attend school, and a number are dying due to the lack of means to pay for treatment of their illnesses. Girls are forced into prostitution. This also explains why the Central African Republic has the highest percentage per population of AIDS in Central Africa.  This situation has affected hospitality in general in the CAR and has made the people more selfish.

As for rice, the High Commission for Refugees gives out food aid in the form of rice to refugees and displaced people. However these people often sell their rice at lower prices so as to buy soap and salt. The consequence of this activity is to bring down the price, thus penalising the producers and the traders who bought the local rice at a higher price.

With regards to other products, the difficulties are at the level of quality control, conservation of fruits and, above all, transport. The C A R is a land-locked country. It depends greatly on the Cameroon. Its own roads are in such a state that it is difficult to export the fruit quickly. The price of air transport is too high. The situation is such that the Central African Republic presents products of a poor quality and insufficient quantity, thus slowing down its development.

From an article by ARMAND DOUNIA
MVAD-CA (NGO for development in Central Africa)
in Forum Européen sur la Coopération au Développement Rural