A one-month training on the production of bio-fertilizers, bio-sprays, and bio-insecticides in Nkambe Central subdivision and Ndu subdivision.
The Cameroon Climate Change Working Group (PACJA Cameroon) and African Coalition for Sustainable Energy and Access (ACSEA) has commissioned a team of experts to provide a one-month free training to farmers from some 27 villages in Nkambe and Ndu subdivisions on the production of bio-fertilizer, bio-sprays, and bio-insecticides.
The agriculture sector in Cameroon Highlands is one of the largest income channels for the people, the state government, and the surrounding areas. This is due to the cold weather because the highland naturally provides the perfect environment for planting flowers, vegetables, and other natural produce. The donga-Mantung division is one of the seven divisions of the Northwest region of Cameroon depending on agriculture as a major source of livelihood for its people. The division covers an area of 4279 km2 and has an estimated total population of about 437,533. The capital city of the division is Nkambe central sub-division. Other subdivisions in the Donga-Mantung division include Ako, Misaje, Ndu and Nwa.
Problem
In recent years, the population of the project areas have experienced hunger and lack due to poor yields with one of the major causes being Climate change. These people practice rain-fed agriculture and the persistent absence of rain, or the fluctuation of the rainy season has left the farmers confused, not knowing when to carry out what activity and how leading to poor yields. Prolonged bouts of droughts have rendered the soil infertile and, in a bit, to fight this, local farmers have turned to chemical fertilizers which further destroy the soil’s fertility. Lastly, the land has been in use for decades and passed from one generation to another for tilling. This naturally reduces the fertility of the soil leading to poor yields.
Our Solution
In this pilot phase of the training, we will be training on the production and use of bio-fertilizers, bio-sprays and bio-insecticides, and how to monitor the farms. After the training, we will work with 3 farmers from each village who will follow up with the rest. The organization has put in place 6 centres across the 2 subdivisions for this pilot phase and the centres will be used for continues production and follow-up after the training. Recipes for production will be released by experts to enable further use by trainees.
Production training shall be carried out for 3 days in each centre, and we will come back after 14 days (bio-fertilizers mature in 14 days) for application training. After the training, trainees are expected to take along the biofertilizers realized, use on a portion of their farms and monitor to see the results compared to the rest of the farm.
Expectations
This training seeks to improve the livelihood and farm production of the trainees and the rest of the farmers they will train. At the end of this training, trainees should be able to produce their own bio-fertilizers, bio-sprays, and bro-insecticides, apply them on the farms correctly and have the desired results (fertile soil and healthy harvest). In the same light, trainees can also invest in the production of these bio-fertilizers for local and why not international market purposes. The training will serve not just as a method of increasing yields but also open multiple sources of income to these farmers. Finally, trainees will receive lectures on the concept of climate change and its impact on our health, farm yields, the environment in general and local ways of adaptation.
