Second generation agriculture is the latest vocabulary on the lips of experts in the sector. This is one, if not, the major theme on which the annual conference of external and internal services of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has hinged for the two days of deliberations.

Announced at the Ebolowa Agric Show two years ago, the concept, observers think ought to have been well advanced in its application phase.  Surprisingly, things seem not to have moved an inch. As the Minister of Agriculture himself stated in the interview with CT, more time is still needed as the Presidential orientation is being applied progressively.

What is holding back the process from moving faster for a sector in dire need of innovation is the question on many lips. According to the Minister, the new concept needs trained men and women. The schools are there, but they need to be upgraded to suit the new dispensation. Second Generation Agriculture as underscored by the Head of State in Ebolowa is the translation of a real agrarian revolution.

Considering the size of the population involved and the number of problems that need to be solved, the implementation of the whole idea remains incomplete. But in the words of the President, agriculture remains the country’s development trump card. “That is why we must successfully implement our agrarian revolution at all costs”, he stated in one of his addresses to the nation.

Second Generation Agriculture in the real sense implies modernised methods of farming, provision of better training to farmers, taking advantage of scientific innovations, and securing innovative financing among others. The concept equally entails local processing of raw materials, increase in crop exports, reduction in the importation of some food crops and creation of jobs.

From every indication, for all these to be achieved, there must be a certain degree of commitment on the part of stakeholders; the agric administration, farmer associations, financial institutions and researchers among others. Since Ebolowa when the Head of State streamlined the guidelines to follow, things seem to have been moving at a rather snail-pace. Rhetoric has taken over from real practice.

The creation of the Agriculture bank raised hopes for many a Cameroonian farmer, but the process itself has remained embryonic. And as faith would have it, commercial banks continue to be reluctant in giving out loans to farmers. The trouble in all this feet-dragging is that much time is rather spent on explaining the concept which farmers themselves continue to question the difference it makes with what has existed before.

The slow application calls for very serious concern for a sector that contributes about 20 per cent to the GDP and on which 60 per cent of the population makes a living. More than 50 years of independence, the country continues to import the major food crops to feed its population including rice, maize and fish.

As participants at the Yaounde conference wrap up deliberations, Cameroonians hope that things should rather be put on fast track with government playing the important role of coordination giving the necessary inspirational tools to farmers who are really in dire need of them to boost production.