Cocoa Farmer Loses 13 Hectares To CDC-made Floods
A farmer at Tongo Farm in Bwenga, Tiko Sub-division in the South West has said since 2010, he has continuously lost enormous amounts of both cash and seasonal crops due to influx of water entering his farm from the CDC (Cameroon Development Corporation) Banana Extension project.
By B. Disonge
“In 2011, I lost 13 hectares of cocoa, corn, egusi and okra,” said Njanga Kondo Ngeka Luma in a bailiff’s report.
The bailiff’s report said torrential water flowed from four different directions depositing debris of banana leaves and stems, blue plastic papers and fertilizer bags on Njanga’s farm.
The water also carried away the black soil that could act as fertile crescent [for] the healthy growth of crops on the farm leaving only the hard surface, said the report.
The report further stated that because of too much water, the pods of the cocoa trees that are still bearing young fruits have all turned black, and the high currents of water swept down all the maize, okra and egusi on the farm down to the sea shore.
The year before, the farmer said, he witnessed a lot of water entering his farm from all directions thereby destroying all the investments on the 75-hectare piece of land.
“I think the CDC did not carry out a proper Environmental Impact Assessment Analysis before embarking on its banana extension project. Once the torrent of water from the CDC banana extension farm, all my crops were rooted out,” Njanga Luma told The Green Vision.
Martha Atong who has been farming in Tongo for more than 20 years said, “While the flood lasted, people could not even pass here. We even caught fish.”
Njanga said the floods occurred when CDC irrigation pipes – 200cm in diameter – burst and flowed wild.
“All my cocoa pods have gone black prematurely due to standing water from the floods. All my crops are rotting,” said Njanga.
According to the farmer, too much water is unfavourable for the production of cocoa.
“This season, I will harvest nothing from my farm and this is really putting the welfare of my family in jeopardy since we depend on yields from the farm,” lamented Njanga.
Another farmer, Nchoji Godfred, said CDC drainages block water flow to Kabe River. At another point, the ditches drain into the river flooding Boma Street quarter.
Meanwhile, Njanga said the CDC dammed the stream at Esuke in Mutengene consequently drying up a stream that flows across his farm.
“This stream used to be 20 metres wide, but since CDC dammed it upstream, it is sometimes as narrow as two metres at its widest point during the dry season. In the rainy season, it overflows and floods my farm,” Njanga told The Green Vision.
The Green Vision could not immediately confirm the farmer’s allegations.