AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION AND RICE COMMERCIALISATION: EVIDENCE FROM THE MOUNT MBAPIT RURAL RICE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, NOUN DIVISION, CAMEROON
Despite Cameroon’s potential for rice self-sufficiency, smallholder farmers often face low productivity and limited market participation due to a lack of modern technological adoption. The Mount Mbapit Rural Rice Development Project was established to address these constraints by promoting agricultural innovations and enhancing rural livelihoods through value-chain development. This study evaluates the impact of agricultural innovations specifically improved seed varieties, mechanization, irrigation, and modern processing techniques on the level of rice commercialization among smallholders in the Noun Division. Using a cross-sectional survey design, primary data was collected from a representative sample of 290 smallholder rice farmers. Descriptive statistics were used to profile farmer characteristics and a multinomial logit regression model to identify the determinants of market participation and the intensity of commercialization. Preliminary evidence suggests that the adoption of innovations significantly increases both yields and the proportion of rice sold to the market. Key drivers of commercialization include agricultural innovation, membership in cooperatives, access to market information, off farm income, farm size, price and distance from the market. However, high input costs, irrigation and inadequate road infrastructure remain barriers to full market integration. The study confirms that agricultural innovation is a critical driver for transforming subsistence rice farming into a commercially viable enterprise in the study area.