Local farmers in Bafut and Tubah Subdivisions of the North West have received farm inputs from their Parliamentarian, Hon. Agho Oliver, an effort which he said aims to curb food insecurity.
Hon. Agho recently spearheaded the distribution of organic manure and essential farm inputs to farming groups within the constituency, where the ongoing Anglophone Crisis has constrained farming for seven years now.
“Our primary concern is the alarming rate of food insecurity that plagues our communities,” he said.
“In this era of governmental emphasis on import substitution, it is imperative that our farmers embrace the use of locally available compost manure instead of relying on expensive and often detrimental chemical fertilizers.”
The distribution, which farmers received with enthusiasm, holds the promise of enhanced yields and agricultural sustainability.
“We have diligently tended to our fields for years, yet our harvests have been disappointingly meager,” remarked Madam Nkongsa, a farmer from Bafut.
“With these inputs at our disposal, we are optimistic that our yields will flourish, providing much-needed sustenance for our families.”
The farming landscape in the North West Region presents formidable challenges.
Many farms are situated far from residential areas, necessitating prolonged stays at farmhouses during crucial farming stages such as tilling, planting, weeding, and harvesting.
The persisting armed conflict has dealt severe blows to farmers, with stories of loss and hardship echoing through the communities.
A farmer from Bafut who identified as Pa Akosia, recounted the devastation wrought upon his plantain plantation.
“My livelihood was ravaged when separatist fighters overtook my plantation in Bafut, leaving behind a trail of destruction. I now dare not venture near that area,” he said.
The shadow of insecurity looms large over farmers, hindering their access to lands and posing risks to their lives.
Tragic incidents, such as the recent death of a woman by a stray bullet on her farm in Mankon on April 8, 2024, and a similar incident in March 2020 where another woman was killed on her way to the farm in Ndu, serve as painful reminders of the risks farmers face to put food on their tables.
“We are unable to harvest our Irish potatoes due to the imposition of arbitrary rules by absent separatist factions during the farming season,” lamented a farmer from Oku.
The cumulative impact of these challenges has left the agricultural sector in a precarious state, with farmers grappling with insecurity, rampant looting of farms, and the exorbitant costs of essential farm inputs.
The UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) noted that the rise in food prices (up to 13.3 percent increase) was the main drive of a general inflation that struct Cameroon last year.
The organisation noted that insecurity in the North West, South West and Far North Regions has limited farmers’ access to inputs, training and even their farmlands.
In response to these pressing issues, Hon Agho Oliver has pledged to champion the cause of the farming population in Parliament.
He vowed to advocate for improved access to farm inputs and the establishment of favorable credit facilities for agricultural workers in the region.
