THE AVC_DP IS INTERESTED IN BOTH WOMEN AND GIRLS OF BIPINDI
On the 31st of august 2018, the BIBINDI subdivision in the Ocean division was at the center of many festivities.
The first edition of the Bipindi agricultural fair took place at the esplanade of the town’s main party place. An event that was organized by the Network of Women and Girls of Bipindi ( RES-AFFIB ) and placed under the presidency of Mrs Clémentine ANANGA MESSINA, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINDEL/MINADER). At this occassion, a strong delegation constituted by the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), the State Secretary of (MINFOF), AVC_DP representatives, other government representatives and administrative authorities were present at this locality. Mrs NDONGO Monique Constance, president of the association and promoter of the fair, wanted to show through this event the dynamism of the “RES-AFFIB” productive women. This network is constituted of 35 associations with 400 registered members in various sub-antennas that make up the villages of Bipindi (Melondo,Memel, Essok, Tyango etc). It was an occasion to expose their products. This fair was a great occassion to present the know-how of the women and girls of Bipindi in the Agricultural Value Chain products. There was a presentation of Bipindi’s local available products. Well known tubers in Cameroon and Africa as a whole such as cocoyams, potatoes, gousse, cassava, yam , citruses such as oranges, grapefruits, lemon etc , sugar cane, banana and plantain, cash crops such as cocoa, palm trees, without forgetting non-timber forest products. Many varieties were exposed at the esplanade of the fair with their transformed derivative products such as dried and conditioned pineapple, dried plums, banana and plantain flour, cold-pressed and packaged palm nuts, pistachio oil, and many others as a result of the transformation of basic products.
However, this women encounter major difficulties related to the production and commercialization of their products among which are rudimentary materials and equipment, bad roads, fluctuating prices of agricultural products etc. With regards to all the efforts that are being made by these producers, Mrs the MINDEL/MINADER has promised to spare no efforts to support them and accompany them through counciling, agricultural materials and equipment, as well as the construction of socio-economic infrastructures. To this effect, she has solemnly announced the construction of 5km of rural track, starting from the main runway for the Memel 1 exploitation site. She also recommended to the “RES-AFFIB” to structure itself in GIC or cooperative with the support of departmental services of MINADER. Trips for exchange of experiences with other producers in the West and Far North region of Cameroon will also be organized to allow these producers to master the techniques of cultivating yam in order to obtain the best yields. In addition, they have been recommended that producers in the same locality should concentrate/ massify in production poles or basins. This rapprochement could make it easier for MINADER to build storage warehouses and enable these producers to easily sell their yams and other products on site.
To strengthen the potential of these farmers, the MINADER has made a donation of a motorized oil press, 30 wheelbarrows, 5 carriers, 30 000 cassava cuttings for seed fields, 40 bags of PANAR hybrid maize of 25 kg, 5 generators, 20 bags of 20-10- 10 fertilizer, 6 motor pumps, 10 sprayers, 5 atomizers, 30 machetes, 30 rakes, and 5 packets of files. The AVC_DP, as part of the implementation of it’s component “Development of fields” and for the promotion of it’s Gender component, has contacted the producers evolving in it’s favorite speculations that are: pineapple, banana-plantain, and oil palm tree, for an appropriate follow-up support favourising their developpement.
ELO Luc