The field visit was to ascertain that seed production meets quality and quantity before their distribution ahead of the official launch of the planting season in March 2012.

Minister Delegate to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in charge of Rural Development, Clémentine Ananga Messina, accompanied by the Economic Advisor to the Littoral Governor's Office, Joseph Nlongo Ateba, and the Littoral Delegate for Agriculture and Rural Development, Belle Sossoh, inclusive of other senior officers of the Ministry, made two days visit to the Mungo Division in the Littoral Region on December 22 and 23.

The objective of the field visit was to evaluate seed production in preparation towards the launching of the 2012 planting season in March. “Government must know what quantities and qualities of seeds are available,” she stressed. Shortly after launching the Littoral Agropastoral Show in Douala Thursday, the Minister Delegate’s first stopover was Penda Mboko at the locality of Kombe Route, where she evaluated progress of the government-supported plantation (banana/plantain) run by the Common Initiative Group, Fraternity and Progress. Staff of the group acquainted the agriculture boss of difficulties including bad roads, need for more government support. The Minister Delegate promised an additional 500 banana/plantain plants to the previous 1,350 offer and cautioned the group to freely share suckers developing in the plantation with other farmers in the locality, not only as a means to prevent the stealing of bunch of the crop but also to help promote government’s urgent fight against food insecurity.

In a brief stopover at the Mbanga Rural Training Centre, Minister Ananga Messina urged the farming population through officials of MINADER Subdivisional Delegation to keep the flag of unity, peace, and fraternity flying high. “Farmers should form groups, set up farming projects that can be supported through the Ministry’s Austerity Food Programme,” she advised. Friday was a very busy day for the Minister Delegate with many schedules that ended late into the evening. First, the visit to the Seed Farm Multiplication Unit in Mbouroukou, Melong, then to Ekon-Kam in the Baré-Bakem Subdivision and back to Njombe at the African Research Centre on Banana and Plantain (CARBAP). Jean Rocheteau Ewane Eben, Lead Technician of the 120-hectare Seed Farm Multiplication Unit said the Unit is able to produce the desired plantlets before the next planting season. To be efficient, the Unit which is specialised in producing plantlets of coffee, banana, plantain, tomato, spices, water melon and cucumber, needs a good supply of water and energy and rehabilitation of existing structures – a situation the Minister Delegate took cognizance of. An assessment of the Ekon-Kam 80 metres water fall was made before an evaluation of CARBAP’s ability to supply plantlets to producer organisations in the Centre, South and Littoral Regions.