Opinion

Vegetable Farmers Prosper Despite Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon

Vegetables
Cameroon
Published Apr 30, 2021
The anglophone civil war has been going on for over four years in Cameroon. It has caused much damage to the country and crippled the nation’s agricultural sector. Many farms have been abandoned or damaged, and more than 500K people have been displaced, causing major towns like Yaounde to become heavily populated. The agricultural industry is still trying to recover from the damage caused. Vegetable farming has been growing steadily in Cameroon at an average annual rate of 5.09%. Vegetable production reached 3.11M tonnes in 2019, an increase of 2.26% from 2018. Tridge interviewed Sophia Ephanga, a Director of Dorine’s Cash Crop Gardening, who provided insight as to how her organization has coped and remained profitable during this time of difficulty.

Increased vegetable production

Dorine’s Cash Crop Gardening, an agricultural group from Yaounde, Cameroon, has taken advantage of the increased vegetable demand in the town. They have built a profitable farming operation specializing in leafy vegetables.

“Ever since the anglophone crisis began in Cameroon, there has been an increase in the population of Yaounde. This has led to a rise in vegetable farming this year (2021). The growing farming operations have helped reduce unemployment and increase the supply (of vegetables) to meet the growing demand in the region.” Ephanga explained.


Dorine’s Cash Crop Gardening’s Waterleaf farm.


Ephanga stated that they are facing a good season this year due to improved weather conditions and increased local demand.

“In Cameroon, we are currently in the rainy season, which began in March. We’ve experienced a high yield of vegetables this season, especially leafy vegetables such as the bitter leaf, ekongobong, waterleaf, and huckleberry. Presently our farm covers 1000m2 and is based in Yaounde town in Cameroon. Our products can be consumed freshly harvested or dried. Our products are popular due to their nutritional content and are suitable for both the young and adults.” Ephanga said.


Huckleberry plant.


Expansion to the export market

Vegetable farmers will continue to tap into the growing Cameroonian fruits and vegetable market which face,s projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2021-26. Ephanga explains that Dorine’s Cash Crop Gardening is planning on transitioning into the export market this year. The vegetable products they produce are rare, which presents an opportunity for them due to the lack of competition. A competitive advantage they have is that their products are packaged both fresh and dried.

“Despite the good rains, we’ve faced some challenges this year. The seed available in the market has been of inferior quality and has reduced our yield. We are also currently preparing to enter the export market this year. If all goes well, we’ll be able to do so.” Ephanga concludes.


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