The increase in supply noticed over the past two weeks paradoxically meets with very low demand from customers. Markets in Yaounde have since the beginning of February 2011 registered noticeable increases in the supply of plantain. In most markets such as Mvog-Mbi, Mvog-Atangana-Mballa, Mfoundi, Acacias or Nkol-Eton, yesterday February 14, bunches of ripe and unripe plantain could be seen spread out in heaps to attract customers. Price tags pinned on the bunches showed prices ranging from FCFA 500, FCFA 1,000, FCFA 1,500, FCFA 2,000 to FCFA 2,500, twice lower than prices that obtained just a month ago. Even sections of bunches that were retailed for FCFA 500 a month ago, sold at FCFA 200.

Questioned on the reasons for such abundance, most plantain traders named the dry season from November to February that favoured the maturity, harvest and transport of plantain to markets from production zones. “Most farm-to-market roads are now passable in production areas around Nyong and Mfoumou, Nyong and So Divisions in the Centre Region as well as in Kadey Division in the East Region, resulting in increased supply to Yaounde,” said Isabelle Nkoudou, a plantain trader in the Mvog-Atangana Mballa market. Huge quantities also came in from the Mbam Inoubou and Mbam Kim Divisions to supply the Mokolo, Nkol-Eton, Mbankolo and Melen markets, amongst others.

At the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, MINADER, sources contacted said the increased supply of plantains could partly be attributed to the success of their programme to re-launch the plantain sector which was set up to cover the deficit in banana-plantain observed in national and sub-regional markets. In 2009, over 7,213,213 improved high quality plants were distributed to more than 9,758 farmers around the country, enabling over 5,774 hectares to be cultivated to produce 285,813 tonnes of plantain. The programme projected the cumulated creation of over 26,663 hectares for an expected production of more than 1,265,352 metric tonnes of plantain by the end of 2010.

Inspite of the huge quantities of plantain in the markets and very low prices, demand was paradoxically low yesterday. “Customers are complaining of low purchasing power caused by the lack of money,” explained Véronique K., a plantain trader at the Acacias Market in the Biyem-Assi neighbourhood. Isabelle Nkoudou also said the last two weeks of abundant supply have not been matched with enthusiastic demand, although plantain remains a widely consumed staple in most households. “As you can see, bunches of plantain are ripening and rotting away,” she regretted.

As bunches of plantain flood local markets, the question is, where are the traders from neighbouring countries such as Gabon and Equatorial Guinea?