The brain behind the initiative is the Chargé de mission at the General Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM Fru Jonathan, elite of Santa, a gateway subdivision into the North West region.
Santa Sub division in Mezam division of the North West region has essentially an agrarian population. Here, food crops are cultivated including root tubers. Irish, and sweet potatoes, cassava, yams, cocoyam, maize, beans and plus a variety of other vegetables are grown in this area. Local farmers put in long hours of work, but the output is not commensurate to the efforts. Here, added to this poor harvest, post-harvest loss is another challenge for locals. Crops are poorly harvested, preservation is below average or absent, especially as far as vegetables are concerned. Dealing with perishables without storage facilities is difficult and the farmers result to dumping the unsold produce or cut prices to the advantage of buyers.
To solve these problems that farmer (among them militants of the CPDM) are facing, , Fru Jonathan and a group of elite have proffered an innovative-value-chain solution as the way forward.
The birth of Santa System Development Cooperative Society, SASDECOS, has been to support the next generation of agro producers. SASDECOS wants to take farming from the rudimentary to the industrialization phase. Through the construction of transformation and preservation units. Here, by transforming or preserving some of the farm produce, there will be an added value. The initiative drew inspiration from the National Development Plan (SND 30) and the Industrialisation Master Plan drawn up by the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development. Both plans highlight agriculture as government’s focus.
The coming of SASECOS would disrupt the current situation of poor farming methods, poor harvest, post-harvest loss, and cut the dependence on imported flour and other cereals.
The cooperative will indulge in market research such as that to determine potential market and the size. Market segmentation, dynamics, and business environment analysis are also areas of interest, among others, found in the terms of reference of the cooperative that L’Action has seen. Fru Jonathan kicked off the initiative with the handing of high-yielding seeds at the start of this year’s farming season.
The former Section President , and heavy weight of the CPDM party says he is simply heeding to the advice of the national President Paul Biya, also Head of State. President Biya has repeatedly said the soil (farming) does not deceive anyone. Fru Jonathan says through agriculture he wants to empower his community, and others eventually.
Jude Viban
