Power tillers, the main attraction at the launch of the 2025 farming season in Bamenda
By Mayayong
Bags of maize seeds, vegetable seeds, cassava cutting, buckets of Plantain plantlets and cartons of organic fertilizer were shared to hundreds of farming groups during the launch of the farming season in Bamenda.
More than 6500 farmers across the 34 sub divisions of the region are to benefit from these farm inputs which the governor of the North West region Adolphe Lele Lafrique says must be used to produce more and curb price hikes of basic goods reported in markets ” this year, more than the year before, we are are expecting farmers to increase production and flood the markets to fight food insecurity looming. I also urge them to take home these farm inputs and the message of peace in their communities because much will always come out of a peaceful environment.
Farmers pleaded for more government support through training, especially on new farming techniques. Cletus Anye Matoyah, general manager of the North West Development Authority (MIDENO) promised to dispatch people on the field for adequate follow up “we will work alongside with staff from the regional delegation of agriculture and rural development, ensure that they aid farmers on how to use fertilizer and quantity of seeds to be put into the soil”
Why the switch to improved seeds and fertilizer?
“You must have noticed that some food like Achu and corn fufu don’t stay long after being cooked. That’s because of the denatured form of farming,” Mr Otang Agbor Ndop Bate, a chemistry teacher, sees a drop in the quality of crops produced because farmers have dropped subsistent or ancient farming practices in favour of modern techniques. But this new method involves a higher use of fertilizers, which alter the natural cycles in crop growth. “Sometimes these chemicals aren’t used correctly and it results in what we see in markets today. For instance, if you send hundreds of bags of Irish potatoes from Bamenda to the market in Douala, upon arrival about 30% of it is lost. This is due to fertilizers”
He thinks that farmers should embrace changes but not completely forgo their old farming practices.
