Mechanised Agriculture: Report Shows Low Adoption

Asituational analysis of mechanised agriculture in Cameroon shows that as many as 75 per cent agricultural activities nationwide are carried out with rudimentary equipment. The report of the analysis which is the work of the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MINADER), carried out with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, was presented in Yaounde on May 14 in a ceremony chaired by Minister Gabriel Mbariobe.

The aim of the study is to facilitate the drawing up of a national mechanisation policy and strategy based on reliable and up-to-date data. According to Ngu Jiofack Ludovic of MINADER’s Sub-department of Professional Agricultural Organisations and Support to Farm Enterprises, which carried out the research in collaboration with the National Cen tre for Studies and Experimentation of Mechanised Agriculture, the study showed that the same manual tools are used in the five agricultural zones of Cameroon.

They include hoes, machetes, spades, axes and wheelbarrows. 62.2 per cent of respondents in a sample group of 2,500 persons in eight regions of the country disclosed they are unsatisfied with the performance of the equipment but are obliged to use them due to lack of access to credit, lack of modern equipment, absence of farm-to-market roads and deficiency of training on how to use modern equipment, among others.

Besides just identifying the types of equipment used from seed production, planting, harvesting and processing, the researchers also catalogued companies involved in the manufacturing, importation and repairs of modern equipment for farming. Most of the man...