Universal Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 6(6), pp. 231 - 234
DOI: 10.13189/ujar.2018.060605
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Poor Rural Cocoa Producers in Cameroon

Mbah Alma Andoh ^*, Mobit Joshua Mbah
Federation of Environmental and Ecological Diversity for Agricultural Revampment and Human Right (FEEDAR & HR), Cameroon

ABSTRACT

Cocoa remains the main cash crop to more than 75% of the population of Cameroon. It is produced mainly by peasant farmers who even though they are the main producers of the highly demanded crop and do not earn sufficient income to meet their needs and maintain a moderate standard of living. This study aims at determining the economic status of Cameroon’s rural people. Field visits were carried out in 10 villages in MEME Division with at least 5 experts spending at least one week in these villages. This was to assess the average quantity of cocoa that a farmer in the rural area produces; how they manage their cocoa farms; how they manage their income and if they keep records. Results show that an average farmer in the rural area produces 32.3 bags of cocoa yearly but they lack knowledge on how to manage their income since there are no banks in the villages. Only 11.2% save their monies in banks in the cities, 25.4% save theirs in “njangi” houses while the remaining 64.4% do not save at all. These make them to mishandle their income and they are forced to borrow chemicals for the next planting season causing the buyers to be the one to determine the price of the cocoa they produce. 84.1% borrows chemicals from their buyers, 15.3% keeps detailed records while 84.7% does not and this makes them unaware of if they are losing or gaining. In order to change their economic status, they have to be encouraged to create and/or join farmers groups that would enable them to better market their produce, educate them on the importance of saving, better agricultural practices, and how to keep good records.

KEYWORDS
Cocoa Producer, Rural, Cameroon, Poor, Field Survey

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Mbah Alma Andoh , Mobit Joshua Mbah , "Poor Rural Cocoa Producers in Cameroon," Universal Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. 6, No. 6, pp. 231 - 234, 2018. DOI: 10.13189/ujar.2018.060605.

(b). APA Format:
Mbah Alma Andoh , Mobit Joshua Mbah (2018). Poor Rural Cocoa Producers in Cameroon. Universal Journal of Agricultural Research, 6(6), 231 - 234. DOI: 10.13189/ujar.2018.060605.