East Region: Cassava Projects Boost Production, Productivity

The Forest-Savannah Sustainability Project in Cameroon (FOSAS) (2011-2016) and the Cassava Marketing Project for Small-Scale Farmers in the Eastern Region of Cameroon (2018-2022) were both financed by the Japanese government. Supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, the first project was carried out in conjunction with Kyoto University, Japan and the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development, IRAD. The Marketing Project for Small-Scale Farmers in the Eastern Region of Cameroon also receives technical backstopping from IRAD.
Located in Andom village in Diang Subdivision, Lom and Djerem Division of East Region, both cassava production projects have made great impact on local farmers. This was attested to during a media trip to Andom on March 3, 2022 organised by the Japanese Embassy in Cameroon. Beaming with smiles, beneficiaries recounted various project dividends.   
These include the introduction of improved high-yielding cassava varieties, noticeable improvements in livelihoods, better marketing outlets and food self-sufficiency. As well as increases in cassava production and productivity, thereby assuring forest conservation. Nevertheless, the success stories were not attained without challenges. Like pests, adjusting p...