Veritable Agric Booster

Cameroonian households received the news with maximum satisfaction. As at September, 2014 the country will put an end to the importation of corn.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Essimi Menye is quite confident about this. The green light to seed production and eventual multiplication has been given in Lekie Division of the Centre Region, notably in Batschenga and Obala where almost 60 hectares are under cultivation and almost 120 tons expected by mid January, 2014.

The signs are hope-rekindling driven by the determination of the agriculture administration. As at now, barely 35 seed production farms exist nationwide and cultivated on an estimated area of 250 hectares. If the trend is not disrupted along the line, the combination of seeds under production in Lekie and those produced in other areas of the country would yield an estimated 900 tons that shall be put at the disposal of farmers for effective cultivation with the hope that this could bring in more yield capable of covering the existing deficit.

The decision to boost the production of corn seed is timely considering the increasing demand for the product both for household consumption and poultry farmers. Present production is estimated at 1.8 million metric tons while deficit remains at over 200,000 metric tons. To go by the assurances of the Minister of Agriculture and other experts in the sector, if the 900 tons of seed are put into production, the deficit will completely be erased.

This, of course, remains hypothetical considering the fact that many things have to come into play for the lofty plan to come to fruition. Seed production is one thing and seed multiplication another. The trouble with agriculture in Cameroon may not only be the near absence of high yielding seeds, but the fact that when such seeds are available, farmers do not access them.

The Minister of Agriculture seems to be quite aware of this vacuum. That explains why he assured that a strategy will be adopted to get the seeds to the farmers, notably those who are ready to produce. Farmer groups will be identified and seeds channelled to producers through them. That notwithstanding, everything must be done to ensure that other accompanying sub sectors are fully operational.

Obtaining and planting high yielding seeds is one thing and ensuring that they grow to fruition is another. Improved seeds will not grow in bushy; neither will they grow in farms that are void of manure. This is an aspect important enough to drive into the minds of farmers, many who erroneously think that it all suffices to acquire good seeds and the yields are assured.

Increasing maize production is a serious project and should not be allowed at the level of planning. The whole package of actions must be employed including intensive training at all levels of production. These include opening of seed farms, caring for the seeds when planted, multiplication of seed farm and distribution to farmers who are ready to produce greater quantities capable of serving the greater majority of the population. In effect, this is the task awaiting actors in the maize production chain, considering that maize remains a veritable booster to the country's agriculture.