Agriculture: 400 cocoa farmers in Ngoulemakong receive technical boost

Over 400 cocoa producers in the Ngoulemakong subdivision, South region have received certificates after receiving training on improved technical management of cocoa plantations.

The project was followed up by the National Cocoa Academy.

For two months, the trainees of both youths and adults were schooled on modern methods of selecting high quality seedlings, soil preparation, best phytosanitary products to use in fighting pest infestations and the reduction of post-harvest losses.

The trainees were also given proper guidelines on the management of aging plantations.

The initiative which has been hailed by many as briliant is brainchild of the Mvila North section of the CPDM whose president, Gaston Meka says is geared at empowering the ruling party’s grassroots supporters economically.

While awarding certificates to the cocoa farmers, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural development, Gabriel Mbairobe stated the importance of this new batch of trainees to the county’s economic growth.

He described the 2018 batch of trainees as a new breed of agro pastoral entrepreneurs capable of revamping the country’s cocoa sector.

The Minister also chipped in his ministry’s support to the local farmers in the form of farm inputs among which were backpack sprayers, phytosanitary products, push trucks and wheelbarrows.

Cameroon intends to produce six hundred thousand tons of cocoa annually by 2022.

Clarence Azeh