The South West Development Authority, SOWEDA, has equipped farmers in the South West Region with the necessary tools and planting materials to kick off the farming season. The official launching of the 2021 farming season in the South West Region took place on Friday March 12, 2021 at the courtyard of the Regional Delegation of Agriculture and Rural Development. The event was chaired by the Inspector General, who was sitting in for the Governor of the South West Region.

As it has been the custom for the past years, SOWEADA has spared no efforts in ensuring that farmers begin the planting season with all the needed support and inputs. This is particularly necessary seeing that these cultivators have been dealing with a number of issues. Firstly, the security situation in the region brought about by the socio-political crisis, has been a torn in the flesh of farmers for the past 4 years. Most of their farms had been abandoned or destroyed. In addition, the corona virus has made it impossible for farmers to export their produce out of Cameroon, an activity which hitherto put money in their pockets. They also have to constantly grapple with the high cost of purchasing farm inputs and equipment as well as the difficulties of selling around their communities. It is the reason why the past farming seasons have failed to reach expected results. 

To maintain the food supply balance in the region therefore, SOWEDA went the extra mile, working in collaboration with the South West Regional Delegation of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide farm inputs to farmers. Although being an annual tradition at SOWEDA, management put in supplementary efforts and resources to reach as many farmer groups as possible with as many farm inputs as was available.

A total of 20 farmer groups selected from all 6 Divisions of the South West Region, received packages comprising of insecticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and maize seeds for planting. They also collected push trucks, wheelbarrows, sprayers, cutlasses and protective boots. 

Speaking during the ceremony, the General Manager of SOWEDA, Dr. Besong Ntui Ogork, explained that while playing the role of facilitating the process of rural Development in the South West region, farmers get prime attention. The message according to the SOWEDA boss is “to let people understand that we depend on agriculture. Without food we cannot survive”.  

He encouraged all the farmers of the region to take advantage of what the government and other programs like the Agricultural Infrastructure and Value Chain Development Project (AIVDP) have to offer them, knowing that left to themselves farmers cannot fully succeed. 

While the farm inputs will resolve some of the problems they face in their farms, the farmers were advised to organize into cooperatives and strategize on beating external obstacles.

Happy with the take home package, the farmers expressed gratitude to SOWEDA and the Regional Delegation of Agriculture and Rural Development for the assistance granted them. They now look forward to a more productive season with improved yields.