1500 Farmers Reap Trees For the Future Benefits

US Charity Trees for the Future through its Cameroon program has successfully planted over 1.5 million multi-purpose agro-forestry species in the South West, North West, Littoral and West Regions as at September 2013.

Some 1.500 farmers are known to have benefitted hugely from the agro-forestry species in terms of crop yields and animal production.

By Payong Prudence

The species include Acacia angustissima, Leucaena leucocephala, Calliandra calothyrsus, Moringa oleifera, Neem, Prunus africana, date palms, Podocarpus.

Current trends show that by the end of the year, over two million trees would have been planted.

This revelation was made last November following an evaluation trip by the Trees for the Future team in Cameroon of trees transplanted in farmer’s fields.

Farmers, especially new ones, were very motivated in implementing the priority technologies including alley cropping and live fencing.

The collective interest of the new and the old farmers is one of the main factors that led to over 1.5 million trees so far transplanted in the four Regions by over 250 farmer’s groups. However, while the old farmers are already benefiting from the trees by mulching the leaves into the soil and getting greater output, the new farmers are anxious to start using the leaves of these plants as natural fertilizer in order to boost their output after the third year.   

This is an important step towards developing the local economy of nations especially emerging nations like Cameroon.

Improving agricultural practices and increasing food security through increased productivity has always been the top priority of the nation. Over the years, Trees for the Future through their agro-forestry activities has been working towards achieving this goal.

The presence of this program has continued to improve the living standards of the people who confessed of having witnessed increase in food production since Trees for the Future introduced them to agro-forestry.

Gemoh Denis, a rice farmer in Ndop, North West Region affirmed harvesting over 50 kg of maize on a piece of land that was considered barren some years back.

He further said a cup of the maize he harvested produced half a kilogramme when threshed.  He also affirmed that the maize tasted better than those he planted in the rice field without using the leguminous trees.

Ayong Thomas, another farmer in Kugwe, Momo Division, still in the North West shares a similar story.

“When I came in contact with Trees for the Future in 2011, I went back to my community and immediately established a farm following the alley cropping technology. Today, I can boast of selling pineapples harvested from my farm for over 50,000 frs cfa. This is the money I used in paying my children’s school fees. This year I have expanded my farm and planted 4000 trees and I will continue to plant and encourage others in my community,” Ayong said.

Francis Nfongang, President of Self-Reliance Mixed Farming Association based in Bamendakwe told The Green Vision that since he started alley-cropping his crops with agro-forestry species, his yields have doubled.

“I have been harvesting more maize and beans,” he said, adding that his pigs eat the leaves of all the agro-forestry species and grow very fast and healthy.

“They fetch me more money now,” Nfongang said.

In Wum, Menchum Division, agro-forestry is the new farming wonder.

“For three years now we have been harvesting fuel wood, medicinal plants and manure for our crops from these agro-forestry plants. Bees also pick nectar from the trees to enrich honey,” Kum Nicholas, Coordinator of BEEMIXED CIG, said.

“Formerly, the landscape was rocky where we removed eucalyptus trees and replaced them with acacia, Prunus Africana, leucaena and calliandra but now we have fertile soil,” Kum said.

According to Kum, they also do alley-cropping with yams, groundnuts and maize.

In Wanagwen and Ukpwe where the watershed once dried up, water has been flowing regularly for a year now, Kum said.

He told The Green Vision that they have 14 hectares for regeneration in Esu, Weh, Bafmeng in Fungong Subdivision and Ukpwe, Nguoh in Wum Subdivision.

This year, the Trees for the Future programme grew not only in numbers and impact but a total of 4.500.000 seeds of the agro-forestry species were sourced and distributed to these farmers. 

After a series of workshops on seed pre-treatment, nursery construction and management in March and April, over 102 nurseries were established and about 3.000.000 seeds raised.