UNIVERSITE DE DSCHANG - YPARD

Abstract
Reinforcing producer’s capacity (CEF) is a new extension approach initiated in North Cameroon in 1998
through « Pôle Régional de la Recherche Appliquée au Développement des Savanes d’Afrique Centrale
(PRASAC) ». The best results obtained in that part of the country have led the Duras Project to extend
that approach in the Southern part of the country. Tested in Akonolinga in 2006, the purpose of this
approach is to stimulate discussion among farmers and to improve their farm management practices.
After two years of assisting farmers, it seems important to assess what have been achieved for them
and estimate the impact.
Six villages (Mvan, Ndibidjeng, Mingeumeu, Mengos, Ndéllé, and Ondeck) of the Akonolinga subdivision
where CEF was experimented were retained as the sample areas for the study. Seventy two farmers
benefiting from the CEF approach were randomly selected, six animators and the managers of the
“Association pour le Développement des Exploitations Agricoles du Centre (ADEAC)” project were
interviewed. Data were collected using a questionnaire addressed to farmers, and interview guide
addressed to animators and the managers of ADEAC project. Descriptive statistics (means, percentages
ect...) were used to analyse the data using SPSS software and triangulation method was also used to
analyse the data of interview guides.
The monography of ADEAC show that, CEF activities are complementary to the programmes
(agricultural program, capacity building program and micro finance program) of ADEAC. Interview with
animators reveal that, animators in the study area are young (37 years old), all hold FSLC and seventy
five percent of them have effectively been trained on one of the modules (crop season prevision plan,
farming system, economic analysis) of CEF.
An analysis of these results showed that, farmers who benefited from the training are average 39 years
old, are educated and they have all applied what they have learned in their farms. A relative change due
to CEF activities was observed in 90 % of the farmers in terms of their farming system practices,
agricultural techniques and economic analysis. In fact they developed mono cropping practices,
determined distance between plants, established their farm budget, better organised their work. Eighty
seven percent of them often discuss about the CEF approach with non members when they are drinking
in “club de vin fort” or at home during a visit to a neighbour or a family member. The farmers declared
that, they know at least one non member who has improved on his farming practices after discussion
(adoption of mono cropping, respect of distance between plants, plan their crop season). Those non
members brought these changes because they wanted to either satisfy their curiosity (61 %) or because
they have witnessed the changes in the farming practices of the members (39 %).
CEF in Akonolinga appears as a developmental approach adapted to the farmers’ situation but which is
not yet well appropriated by the actors’ concerned (managers of ADEAC, animators and farmers). As in
other areas where CEF were experimented, appropriation of this new approach need a lot of time
(relative time) for mutual learning between animators and farmers. Results also showed that, the level of
education of animators is insufficient. At the end, it is necessary to reinforce the capacity of ADEAC in
order to facilitate the appropriation and diffusion of CEF. Principally, it is important to organise trainings
to reinforce the capacity building of ADEAC around the organisation about CEF and particularly on the
assimilation of tools used and elaboration of new topics on CEF in partnership with farmers.
Ngouambe Nestor, FASA, Mémoire Ingénieur Agronome
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