The council of Mindourou-Dja, in the Upper Nyong Division of the East region is reimagining cassava as a catalyst for economic transformation and women’s empowerment.
At a time when many rural communities struggle with post-harvest losses and limited market access, Mindourou is showing that innovation doesn’t always require high-tech solutions, just the right tools, trust in local capacity, and a clear political will.
Confronted with an oversupply crisis after a bumper harvest in 2024, the local council made a bold move – invest in cassava processing equipment for every village. “We had more cassava than we could sell,” recalls Mayor Richard Zengle Ntouh who is at the heart of the transformation initiative. “So instead of letting it rot, we are now turning to transformation” he added. That decision to transform sparked a major shift in strategy from raw crop production to value-added processing. On July 31, the mayor fulfilled a key promise: 20 cassava mills were delivered to villages across the council, with each community receiving its own machine to transform raw cassava into higher-value products.
The initiative was designed with a clear priority, that of empowering rural women. Traditionally the backbone of farming in the region, women often bore the brunt of post-harvest losses. Now, equipped with cassava mills, they will turn raw roots into finished goods including cassava flour, bobolo, garri and water fufu – ready for sale in regional markets.
“We’re not just giving out machines,” the mayor emphasized. “We’re investing in women, in families, and in a better future.” The result is not just added value, but added dignity, economic independence for women who can now control more of the production chain and keep more profits in their households.
Beyond Cassava
The cassava mills are part of a broader, self-funded investment in Mindourou’s agricultural ecosystem. Alongside them, the municipality distributed palm oil presses, sprayers for crop protection, agricultural inputs like fertilizers and improved seeds.
The council invested over 42 million FCFA from its own budget. This strategy builds not only resilience but also an integrated local value chain – from production to processing to market.
Mayor Zengle Ntouh is clear-eyed about the long road ahead. “Emergence is not something you declare,” he says. “It’s something you build, step by step, with the people.” His administration is embracing what it calls economic intelligence – understanding community needs, using local resources wisely, and targeting investments where they will have lasting impact. Five years ago, the commune launched a pilot by installing its first palm oil press. Today, that idea has scaled into a full agricultural upgrade. Farmers now have more than just land, they have leverage. A 100kg sack of cassava that once sold for as little as 5,000 FCFA can now be transformed into products worth two to three times more.
Claudette Chin
