Mont Mbappit Project: 20 billion for five agricultural sectors

Five agricultural sectors are beneficiaries of the project; market gardeners in Foumbot, rice in Koutaba and Bangourain, palm oil in Malantouen, cassava in Massangam, and maize in Njimom, Kouoptamo and Magba.

These areas were selected for the second phase of the Rural Development Project Mont Mbappit (PDRM-II) in the Noun division. Ahead of the start of the "imminent" PDRM-II, the governor of Western Region, Augustine Awa Fonka, officially launched the process of structuring of producer organizations.

Eight cooperative sectors will be selected through eight of the nine districts of the Noun (except Foumban). These form the basis of the second phase of PDRM. The use of the cooperative movement is completely in line with the second generation of agriculture policy. The policy, explains Amadou Potouo Gbounkouo, Project Coordinator, is for "promoting sustainable agriculture based on the development of value chains and integrating the notion of competitiveness and productivity."

There is no question of producing to sell at the market, but to transform. It is from these cooperatives that processing industries will be set up to develop the added value of agricultural production.

To this end, raising the awareness and structuring producers will take place over a period of four months (July-October). It will include the selection of eight cooperatives with viable management bodies which will be equipped with financing for agricultural inputs, product collection, processing and marketing, trading posts, pools gear farm set up by the project, etc.

The PDRM-II is a continuation of the first phase carried out from 2006 to 2012. Over a period of five years, it received funding of about FCFA 19 billion, of which 91% is to be held by the Islamic Bank of Development and 9% as consideration for Cameroon.