THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON AGRICULTURE IN CAMEROON.by | 30-07-2017 05:57 |
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Agriculture in Cameroon is the backbone of the Cameroonian economy and employs more than 70% of its population. Cameroon produces both export and food crops through government corporations like the Cameroon Development Corporation (C.D.C) or by individuals who carryout peasant agricultural production has been threatened by global changes in climatic elements. In Cameroon market gardening is practiced on the Western Highlands, slopes of Mount Cameroon, Mungo depression, Benue depression and the Foumbot plains. The practice involves the cultivation of perishable crops such as green beans, carrots, lettuce, cucumber, cabbages, spices and vegetables under ample precipitation conditions (AZIEH EDWIN, 2013). These products easily get bad when exposed to high temperature or cultivated far from the market due to its fragile nature that is why urban centers like Galim, Santa, Pinyin and Foumbot makes use of this farming system. Market gardening is a very important sector is Santa supporting livelihood of the people in terms of income, employment and meeting up with food needs of families. This sector also holds so much for the future of the people. Though with the much hope and reliance on the sector, evidently, there are growing numbers of problems which are of concern to the success of market gardening in the area. One of the major visible problems is the drop in yields or out put though this could be accounted for by many factors, it remains very prominent that the methods used in production as well as investment in terms of inputs are still very primitive and grossly inadequate. The inability of the people to master and work with the climatic parameters that change has been a major setback to market gardening crop production in Santa. The variability, be it long term or shorter is difficult to predict and cope with. Again the availability water for irrigated farms has been a problem. The few streams and watersheds whose water upwells the water needed by plants are vast declining in quantity all due to unsustainable land-uses. The declining water resource would further affect the sector negatively. This is because due to the rapid soil depletion, farmers have also resorted farming around catchment areas since market gardening is a cherished activity and its practice demands much water. |
