West: Poor road infrastructure impoverishes large scale farmers

Impoverishment suffocates large scale farmers in Djuttitsa – Menoua Division of the West region despite their great harvest and high demand by petit traders across Cameroon and in Central Africa.

“More than 80 trucks reach here to get food to feed the world. What we cultivate is sold to Cameroonians and business people from other countries in Central Africa and even people from Sudan.” A farmer said.

Though endowed with fertile soil favouring agriculture, the absence of a good bridge and tarred road infrastructure leading to this agricultural hub, constitute reason for their poverty. With the wooden bridge and slippery seasonal farm to market roads, buyers bargain and buy the raw food cheap.

“We get cheated due to the nature of the road. Some of the buyers complain of spending a lot to evacuate the crops over unbearable conditions of the farm roads.” A famer complained.

A situation that had been worsened by the collapse of the lone bridge . It took the farmers quite some time to mobilize efforts to restore the bridge. They synergistically rolled trunks of trees over the stream to creat a new bridge.

Though aware the bridge would not last for long, they implored help from the Nkong-Zem council.

“The bridge will help for a short while. But we beg the municipal authorities of Nkong-zem council to help us build a solid bridge”. Implored a farmer.

These farmers in Djuttitsa believe, if they are provided tarred farm to market roads and a resistant bridge, they will make a lot of proceeds from their farming activities. Others will be motivated to delve into agriculture.

Djuttitsa is only a case study of what farmers in other parts of Cameroon endure as suffering and slavery due to bad governance.