Cameroon has brought microfinance institution FIGEC SA into its Decentralized Rural Credit Project (PCRD), expanding the network used by the government to finance farmers and rural businesses. Under the agreement, MINADER will provide FIGEC with a financing mechanism combining repayable funds for lending to agricultural producers with non-repayable support to strengthen the microfinance institution’s operational capacity. Tchikantio said access to credit remains difficult for many agricultural producers, particularly because they struggle to provide the collateral required by financial institutions. Rural credit program reaches nearly 50,000 producersThe partnership extends a rural financing program already operating in six of Cameroon’s 10 regions. Its interventions include supporting the establishment of local financial institutions, developing rural financial products, facilitating access to low-interest loans and strengthening the capacities of sector stakeholders.