Ebolowa Mini Agro-Pastoral show: 2015 edition uncertain

The Southern Regional mini Agro-Pastoral show is scheduled from December 21 to 23, 2015.

But more than 200 producers in the locality of Bityli, formed a cooperative, threatening to sabotage the holding if their money is not returned.

108 tonnes of maize seed were delivered to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), for a value of FCFA 775 600 000. To date, they have not yet been paid.

According to Le Jour on Wednesday, December 16, 2015, producers held a meeting with the Divisional Officer, DO of Ebolowa 2 "for a final notice", Tuesday, December 15.

"This was sent them to the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, who in turn sent them to the governor, after a detour to the regional delegate of Agriculture and Rural Development of the South", we learnt from the newspaper.

The president of the cooperative, Louise Sylvie Mezene Mbvaébeme, and his members, threatened to "land on the fair site armed with clubs and machetes in order to be heard. The group accused the farmers of breach of trust,” the paper stated.

Reached by telephone on Tuesday, December 15, 2015, Gervais Evina Akoa, who is regarded as the national focal point in improving the maize sector program, has indicated that "it is a small problem. If that's how they want to work, they should even take the matter to the world media," disclosed the newspaper.

"The seed fund contacted the farmers of this village in the district of Ebolowa 2 for the production of maize seed. A corn that had to be purchased by the said funds to 1000 kg by August 2014 to allow producers to calmly prepare for the school year. Based on promises of MINADER, farmers engaged in the production of these cereals and delivered 108 tonnes of maize seed in two years," said the president of the cooperative farmers, to justify the anger of his members.

According to him, the farmers have worked hard to deliver these seeds. It would not be fair not to pay them.

In addition, they have resorted to temporary workers for land clearing, felling, cleaning, weeding, fertilizer application, harvesting, transport, drying etc. These temporary workers also must be paid.