Accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, the choice of Fundong to launch this year’s coffee season was not by chance as its cultivation was introduced in the country in Boyo Division in 1938. The two ministers gave instructions to the effect that the quality of the produce be maintained for it to continue to win the hearts of international traders.
Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana challenged farmers to work harder because Arabica coffee for example, now attracts between FCFA 2,500 and FCFA 2,800 per kilogramme, up from FCFA 900 in recent years. The Trade Minister urged stakeholders to improve collaboration on the field so that the nation’s coffee could be spared unprofessional marketing practices. He frowned at violations of rules regulating the sector.
Hope and confidence was the take home message from Fundong with the General Manager of the National Cocoa and Coffee Board, Ndoping Michael announcing that the recent crisis that rocked the coffee sector was now history. He urged farmers to take advantage of the favourable business environment by producing quality coffee beans to prove to the world that Cameroon’s coffee is about finesse, quality and flavour. Fang Francis Yoh, President of the North West Cooperative Association (NWCA), saluted government’s efforts in revamping the coffee sub sector which had initially suffered especially in the North West where production dropped from about 11.000 metric tons in the 70s and 80s to less than 1,000 metric tons in recent years.
Farmers acknowledged government’s support through subsidized farm inputs, raising of nurseries, capacity building etc. Production is back on the rails and farmers are once more attracted by requests for government to improve the situation with assistance to cooperatives, provide more subsidized farm inputs like fertilizers, chemicals and assorted farm tools, create research centres to combat the coffee cherry berry disease, create feeder roads and hasten work on the creation of farmers’ bank.
