Farmers Predict Poor Productivity

There is shortage of Fertilizer which farmers believe will cost a drop in the next harvest season.

Farmers in Douala have predicted poor production of crops in the next season because of shortage of fertilizer in the market. The farmers have decried fertilizer has become very expensive and the little quantity sold is not enough for their farms. They said if nothing is done about this then there will be food shortage in the months ahead.
In a chat with an official in the delegation of Agriculture, he said this shortage is a real problem which has to be ameliorated on the side of the suppliers of fertilizer. He said they see the plight of their farmers and have encouraged them to use natural manure. It is not also easy he said for them to have the quantity available for their farms. The official said it is not only farmers who deal with food crop who are in this difficulty. This also includes those dealing with cash crops. Talking to the director of Bio Fertilizer Industry, Mbaya Jean, he said there are two types of fertilizers used, the liquid and the solid types of fertilizers. The solid type is what farmers are used to and that is the type which has become expensive and scarce. According to him it is scarce because the cost of importation has increased, taxes have increased. He also said because of the many intermediaries between the importer and the users the cost is borne by the farmers. He said the importer gives to distributors who give to field workers who deal with the farmers. He added that in the 90s, a bag of fertilizer used to cost about 7,000CFA but nowadays a bag costs 18,000CFA.
EFFA TAMBENKONGHO