Some Services attached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, MINADER, in the Southwest Region have complained to be short of over 200 workers to meet up with the human capital needed to spur agricultural policies and trigger development.
Information of the existence of the 200 vacant positions came to the fore at the close of an Annual Regional Coordination Meeting, grouping officials and stakeholders of the agricultural sector in the Southwest Region.
According to the Southwest Regional Delegate of Agriculture, James Enang, despite enormous Government contributions in donating inputs to farmers, there still exist some major hurdles in the sector among which are; the existence of over 200 vacant positions, the absence of adequate means of mobility in some Divisions.
The problem of personnel, the Delegate further explained, is linked to the aging nature of human resources. Enang cited cases such as the Ndian Division, where over a two-third of MINADER staff will be going on retirement in 2015.
In terms of the impact of technology on the agricultural sector, the Regional Delegate expressed the urgent need for informed and up- to -date staff who can best accompany farmers in line with Government directives and modern trends through capacity reinforcement.
The Agricultural Engineer stated that the challenge of roads remain endemic as some roads have been impassable for the past seven months, making it difficult for the transportation of farm produce to the market.
He explained that the lack of motor bikes frustrate and limit the out reach of MINADER staff in the Region, given that, they hardly get to meet and sensitise farmers on time and even when it is done, the intervals are hardly regular.
Enang therefore averred that, the meeting which grouped Delegates from all the six Divisions of the Region, Southwest Farmers Cooperative Union SOWEFCU, the Cameroon Development Cooperation, PAMOL, the Southwest Development Authority, SOWEDA, RUMPI and the association of Village Banks was aimed at reviewing the activities of 2014 and ensure that in 2015, the South Region remains food sufficient and to get the rural population more involved in agricultural activities.
The Kumba conclave equally saw the programming of a Regional mini Agro- pastoral show slated for December 18-20, 2014.
The Southwest Agric boss disclosed that, the event billed for Buea is expected to witness the presence of some 2000 farmers, farmers’ organisations, actors and stakeholders in the delivery and transformation chain.
The Regional Delegate also said, besides the usual gathering of farmers and display of inputs, financial houses such as banks will be present at the Agro- pastoral show. The presence of the banks, Enang stated, is to arrest the perennial problem of financing plaguing the agricultural sector and related projects.
