I cannot guarantee farmers EU-sponsored ovens now- SOWEFCU President

The President of the Southwest Farmers Cooperative Union, SOWEFCU, Patrick EsapaEnyong, has stated that he cannot assured farmers of the availability of the 2,500 rehabilitated cocoa ovens sponsored by the European Union, EU.

Esapa made the statement on June 29 at the esplanade of the SOWEFCU building in Kumba, shortly after taking part in a meeting that brought together the Coordinator of the ovens project, Joel Atangana, and representatives of cooperatives. The representatives were from Meme and Fako where the project is expected to kick-off.

He explained that, for now, it is not proper to start giving farmers definite deadlines on the availability of the rehabilitated ovens, when effective field work is yet to start. Esaparemarked that it would be better for the farmers to remain patient, while the Coordinator and the contractors concerned with the work finish the necessary administrative work.

The SOWEFCU President averred that farmers are eager to have the ovens rehabilitated so that they can start using them, but remarked that it would not be proper to get to the field without knowing who does what as per the project. Field work is expected to start in August.

According to him, a handful of cocoa producers need to be told that they are the ones to take responsibility for the roofing and preparation of the ground, while the contractor is concerned only with the ovens and the chimneys.

Before now, the Vice President of the National Cocoa and Coffee Inter-professional Council,CCIC, James Musima Lobe, hadmade the farmers to understand that the project was announced two years ago but funding partners only showed up in 2014.

Musima told his fellow producers that they should seize the opportunity Government has offered through its intention to contribute to making the project a reality.

The CCIC Vice President admonished cocoa producers to know that, the peak season for cocoa production in the Southwest coincides with heavy rains. This, he went on, accounts for the setback the Region suffered in terms of quality on the world market in 2014.

To him, the quest for quality remains paramount, given that, on the world market, companies go in for high quality cocoa beans from other countries. Other representatives at the conclave, who came to register their communities for the ovens project, were cautioned to wait for the next phase of the project.

Meantime, some farmers left the meeting grumbling, despite repeated explanations that the project is to rehabilitate and not construct new ovens.Some claimed that it was the Minister of Trade who told them; personally, during a fair in Yaounde, that the project will be to construct new ovens.Officials at the meeting said new ovens might only be possible in the second phase.

Paul Kode, Coordinator of the Poverty Alleviation Initiative, PAI, admonished the cocoa farmers to strengthen their cooperatives and make use of solar energy to dry their product. Kode said waterfalls in every community can be developed in partnership with local Councils for farmers to produce the best of cocoa beans.