Sustainable Tree Crops Program - Cameroon
Project Dates: Pilot Phase 2003-2006, Phase II 2007-2011
Country: Cameroon
Funders: U.S. Agency for International Development, World Cocoa Foundation and global cocoa industry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), GTZ/DED
Implementers: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (manager, production, marketing, policy),
SOCODEVI (cooperative development)
Overview
The Project for the Management of Natural Resources (PMNR) focuses on the protection of the Mount Cameroon Forest Reserve, using cocoa as an income generating activity and building cocoa farmers’ capacity.
The FAO project for the strengthening of smallholder agribusiness relations aims at improving the producerbuyer
linkages for oil palm and cassava-dependent producers and cooperatives in the Center and South West
Regions in Cameroon.
Program Objectives:
- To increase rural income in an environmentally and socially responsible manner
- To promote policy, marketing, processing and production of two tree crops - cocoa and oil palm
- To promote the production and marketing of cocoa and oil palm by-products and associated products
such as plantain and non-timber forest products - To develop farmer organizations’ capacity as agribusinesses and agricultural enterprises
- To develop local institutional capacity to provide production and marketing support services
Progress to Date:
- 6,823 farmers trained through Farmer Field Schools. Farmers receive training through the
participatory Farmer Field School approach which covers topics related to integrated crop and pest
management as well as quality improvement. To date, a total of 384 facilitators representing the Ministry
of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), 12 farmer cooperatives, 2 local non-governmental
organizations and 2 cocoa-related organizations completed training. An additional 14,867 farmers
benefited indirectly through farmer-to-farmer dissemination of information. - Sustainable farmer cooperative-led seedling production & distribution system developed.
Experts from the National Agricultural Research Institute for Development (IRAD) provide technical
supervision while STCP facilitates, leads data collection, and provides basic nursery materials such as
improved cocoa pods, pre-germinated oil palm nuts and propagator units for banana/plantain.
Cooperative technicians and individuals were trained in management of cocoa nurseries (125 people), oil
palm nurseries (70 people) and banana/plantain propagation (133 people). Additionally, 9 cooperatives
set up oil palm processing, 2 set up mushroom production, 6 set up banana seed funds and 4 linked to oil
palm and banana plantain national promoting programs. - 10 local NGOs and public structures increased capacity of 12 cooperatives. SOCODEVI’s pilot
project trained 10 local non-governmental organizations and public entities to assist farmers in
developing cooperatives. 12 cooperatives have quality control centers with 10 also having mini quality
labs. 8 cooperatives are linked to a market information system to receive price information by SMS. The
12 cooperatives are co-funding Farmer Field Schools and 4 are piloting the concept of including
professional training facilitators as employees of the cooperatives. - Research highlights. STCP, IRAD and the National Forestry Agency (ANAFOR) are studying a
farmer-developed cocoa agroforest model with 625 cocoa trees per hectare and 100 associated trees in
Center Province. Biological control candidates against black pod disease were isolated with small-scale
participatory field trials showing preliminary results of a 30-50% decrease in disease levels. Larger scale
trials are now underway. 38 farmer field research plots were established to demonstrate intercropping of
cocoa with food crops, fruit trees and forest trees.Project Dates: Pilot Phase 2003-2006, Phase II 2007-2011
Success Story: Increasing Yields, Reducing Pesticides
Success Story: Sharing the Secrets of Success
Success Story: Ensuring a Future in Cocoa Farming
Sucess Story: Education Has No Age Limit