Gov't to launch pear oil extraction plant in Mbouda

The Cameroonian government has launched an appeal for the establishment of a pear oil extraction plant in Mbouda located at the West region of the country.

This agro-industrial project, is being implemented under the frame work of the sub programme "for reducing poverty at the base", by the Ministry of Economy with the support of UNDP.

The agro-industrial unit in gestation, according to the Ministry of the economy, will help "develop the local economy and help the people of Mbouda to gain more profit from the potential of their locality".

Mbouda is the capital of the Bamboutos department and it is the main production basin of pears in Cameroon, with approximately 120,000 tons annually, according to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture.

According to the Ministry of Economy, this production should significantly increase in the coming years and with the current introduction of the orchard grafted plants to improve yields, it is commonly sold in major cities of the country such as Douala and Yaoundé. Much of this production, as stated by the departmental delegation of Agriculture, is even sent to neighbouring countries such as Gabon, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

Because of the perishable nature of this fruit, about 30% of the production of pear in Bamboutos is often lost post-harvest, noted the departmental delegation of Agriculture.

In this regard, “we are already working on the dream to see these losses are prevented through the implementation of a processing unit, which will thus offer producers a new outlet located a stone's throw away from the plantations”.

Presently in Cameroon, pear is primarily used for food consumption. However, experts found it's importance in the manufacture of products for the treatment of the hair, or even skin.

"There are so many opportunities which will come out from the construction of an avocado oil extraction unit in the Mbouda town," the Agricultural Ministry noted.