ASSESSMENT OF NGOKETUNJIA RICE VALUE CHAIN ACTORS' PERFORMANCE IN CAMEROON.

Cameroon is a net rice importer, and actors' performance along the rice value chain is yet to be well understood, even though they are presumed to integrate functions along the chain. The aim of the study was to investigate the financial performance of actors in the rice value chain in Ngoketunjia division in Cameroon. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to identify and collect data from 800 actors using a structured questionnaire. The cost-return technique was employed to analyse the financial benefit of actors in the chain. The results showed that the cost of production, milling, wholesaling and retailing per kilogram was FCFA 122.38 (US$ 0.20), for farmers, millers, FCFA 240.79 (US$0.39), wholesalers, FCFA 336.50 (US$0.55), and FCFA 358.90 (US$059) for retailers. The profit per kilogram was FCFA 27.63 (US$0.05) for farmers, FCFA 79.21 (US$0.13) for millers, wholesalers was FCFA 13.50 (US$0.02) for wholesalers, and FCFA 11.10 (US$0.018) for retailers. Farmers and millers had higher gross margins (22.03% and 28.21%) than wholesalers and retailers (5.74% and 4.14%, respectively). The benefit-cost ratio analysis revealed that the rice value chain is profitable to all actors, with benefit-cost values of 1.23, 1.33, 1.04 and 1.03 for farmers, millers, wholesalers and retailers, respectively. Overall, farmers and millers had greater benefit from their activities in the rice value chain in Cameroon and may need less attention in the chain development as compared to wholesalers and retailers with less benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]