Forest Garden Groups Boosted for Increased Agricultural Production
Agroforestry is not something Cameroonian farmers practise routinely, yet it is gradually gaining currency with ERuDeF heading the quest to implant it to boost agricultural production.
By Peter Njume
Between May 15 and 28, 2015, ERuDeF agroforestry experts went out to the field to evaluate the evolution of nurseries established in 15 Divisions of the Southwest, Littoral, West and Northwest Regions earlier in the month of March.
“The nurseries we planted with agroforestry species (Acacia, Leuceana, Prunus africana, Tephoriosa, Moringa) in the villages of Moh, Bongom and Wowo in Donga Mantung, Northwest Region, are doing well but for a spell of heat wave that somewhat retarded the establishment of the nurseries,” said Jumbam Blaise, ERuDeF’s Northwest Agroforestry Coordinator.
“It is for this reason that we donated a total of 45 cans to the new forest garden farmer’s groups in the 15 Divisions,” Jumbam told The Green Vision.
He added, “The nurseries in Kugwe, Kulabe and Koano in Momo Division are also faring well.”
Among the assistance the forest garden farmers received were vegetable seeds (cabbage, okra, huckleberry), various species of grafted seeds and manuals of agroforestry medicinal species (Moringa, Prunus africana and Neem) along with T-shirts and caps.
“In the Northwest, we gave the farmers grafted species of plums,” Jumbam said.
“The farmers in Moungo, Littoral Region, wanted pear and mangoustant; so we gave them those,” said Payong Marquise, ERuDeF Coordinator of Agroforestry in West and Littoral.
Payong had visited new forest garden groups in Batsa, Balafotio and Batalong in Bamboutos; Banfeko, Bakassa, Bana in Haut Nkam; Bafou, Batsinjla, Baleveng, Tshouti and Foto in Menoua; Melong II, Poola, Fultang and Cite Vert in Moungo.
At Mile 16 and Mile 14 communities in Fako Division, Bangem in Kupe-Muaneguba Division, and Ikiliwindi, Kurume, Konye in Meme Division, the germination rate of seeds of Acacia, Luceanea, Tephoriosa, moringa, was reported as satisfactory in the demonstration nurseries.
The old forest garden farmers’ groups in Fako, Meme and Kupe-Muanenguba were given six grafted species of oranges to plant.
Young Workers of Muabi, Finishers Group in Muasum, Seven Able Men of Muelong, Dynamic Youths Mbat in Bangem; New Breed Farmers in Kurume, Ekonde Young Farmers and Angel Youths in Ngolobolo, in Meme; Neighbour-Neighbour in Bokova area in Mile 16, Bolifamba Young Farmers Mile 16, Faithful Women Mile 14 in Fako were all happy recipients of technical assistance from ERuDeF.
In addition, the agroforestry experts distributed open letters soliciting for community projects that ERuDeF can assist.
