Maize Cooperative Floats Shares
A maize seed cooperative, Mbantang Song Maize & Grain Agricultural Cooperative Society Ltd (MBASMASGRA-COOP), has floated 40% of the outfit’s shares with a minimum being 10 shares each at 10.000 francs cfa. Potential shareholders have up to June 2015 to register and buy their shares.
By Ngosso a Ngosso
MBASMASGRA-COOP’s Sakwe said they were selling common equity shares.
“Anyone can buy the shares. You can become a member of MBASMASGRA-COOP through productivity, buying of shares or by being both,” Sakwe said in a statement.
MBASMASGRA-COOP was created in 2010 to produce grain seeds, principally categorised composite maize variety.
“We have been into production for two years and we now think it is time interested persons can join us to expand the cooperative,” Song Stephen, MBASMASGRA-COOP President, told The Green Vision. “In the past, farmers used to kill seeds by drying them, and to sustain food sufficiency in the country, government had to establish this programme contracting private producers to propagate quality seeds and sell back to the Ministry of Agriculture.”
The Ministry of Agriculture through the National Programme of Support for Maize Sector distributes the maize seeds to farmers free of charge.
MBASMASGRA-COOP started off production with 40 tons of maize in its farm in Kuke-Kumbu, Mbonge Sub-division in Meme Division, South West Region.
“We are moving to 400 tons on more than 100 hectares in the nearest future,” Song said.
The cooperative is also envisaging creating employment opportunities for people of Kuke-Kumbu and its environs.
It will also become research and training a centre for students, farmers and researchers and other stakeholders.
“We want people to move to agriculture. We also want to see people selling things coming from the farm,” said Medjo Moulle Cecile, agronomist at the South West Delegation of Agriculture.
She said starting up an agricultural enterprise is very difficult but beneficial in the end.
MBASMASGRA-COOP not only produces maize seeds but also cassava seedlings.
“Our cooperative was trained on the production of cassava seedlings at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Yaounde and has so far received three varieties of cassava; 92/0326, 95/0109 and 96/1414 from Parc à bois Logbako’o in Pouma,” the MBASMASGRA-COOP President said.
He said government wants to diversify from the consumption of wheat flour to cassava flour.
Peyani Tambo Rigobert, cassava specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture, reiterated that cooperatives create jobs.
“Today, government is encouraging a move away from grassroots common initiative groups (CIGs). Cooperatives are now being legalised. Government is now oriented towards agro-production and market-driven production,” Peyani said.
