CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

Agriculture is critical to achieving global poverty reduction target and it is the single most important sector in most low-income countries, as concern its share in the Gross Domestic Product and equally in terms of number of people it employs (World Bank, 2009). According to the World Bank report (2007), agricultural development is one of the most powerful tools to end extreme poverty, boost shared property and feed a projected 9.7 billion people by 2050. One of the main global challenges since the early 19^th Century has been to ensure food supply for the growing world’s population which mounts pressure on environmental resources. In developing countries, Growth in agricultural sector is two to four times more effective in raising income amongst the poorest as compared to other sectors. This has made agriculture to remain a core activity in the developing economies.  It is believed that, over the past decades, hunger and malnutrition persist in many countries because of slow agricultural productivity (WFP, 2018). The expected increase in agricultural demand associated with population growth requires a continuous increase in the investment in agricultural activities be it at the national or individual levels. Goal two of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which is emphasized from the Millennium development Goals (MDGs) aims at eliminating hunger to zero level by 2030. But unfortunately, hunger and malnutrition remains a barrier of development in developing countries.  Agriculture faces a lot of challenges most especially in the developing nations which ranges from poor method, management techniques, pre and post harvest lost as well as socio-political crisis (MDGs 2018).

Most part of Africa faces challenges in agricultural production largely on how the poor in rural areas are organised to make themselves and the willingness and the ability of the state to pursue development path that reduces food crops loss of farmers. In much the same way, Kometa &Yiven (2017) ascertained that agricultural productions have increase whereas very little has been done to improve on techniques of food crops. Adaptation strategies such as timely harvest and value addition through processing are significant ways through which challenges of food insecurity and nutrition can be limited Antanga et al., (2014).

In most crisis region of sub Saharan Africa’s agricultural sector, there is the Strategy for Revitalizing Agriculture (SRA) in most of sub Saharan Africa which was formulated and launched for Implementation in 2004. Unlike previous agricultural sector policies, the SRA has sought to lay foundation for sustainable exploitation of arid and semi-arid lands through a number of adaptation strategies such as irrigation development, water harvesting agro-forestry, development, and promotion of early maturity, drought and pest tolerant crop varieties and improved livestock marketing most especially for crisis induce regions in Arid and semi-arid lands (Ndambiri et al., 2010). Crop–livestock diversification aims to allow farmers to have various products at harvest and to minimize losses due to crisis prone activities. Indeed, one of the manifestations of Crisis is luckdown and ghost twons which renders farmers absent from farms or destroy farm land thus diversifying agricultural activities permit farmers rest hope on other produce like livestock. As this phenomenon has influenced the agricultural calendar, many farmers do not know which crop to grow on what date. Crop–livestock diversification therefore remains a way to increase the chances of having produce at the end of the season. This practice, apart from its agronomic advantages and the fact that it offers a rich and varied landscape during the agricultural season, contributes to the preservation of food and nutritional security of the household. Crop–livestock diversification and other good practices (mixed cropping, intercropping and crop rotation) have the advantage of slowing down the spread of pests and diseases in the growing season, reducing input requirements and increasing yields (Adégnandjou and Dominique, 2017). Emphasis on more drought resistant crops in drought-prone areas could help in reducing vulnerability to climate change which at the end yield high output withstanding the crisis, (Akinnagbe and Irohibe, 2014). 

In many parts of Cameroon, speculative activities in land for agriculture in the urban fringes have led to wasteful use or sub-optimal use of resources due to economic and socio-political crisis. A kind of urban absentee landlords is emerging as a new phenomenon due to speculative activities as a result of crisis.. Not only the members of agricultural labour households but also of the agricultural families are increasingly opting for non-agricultural avenues for earning their livelihood. All these factors lead to decline of agriculture in many areas in Cameroon.

Agriculture constitutes the backbone of Bamenda . It is the largest contributor to GDP; the biggest source of exchange, accounting for about 40% of the village earnings; and the main generator of savings and tax revenues. In addition, about two-thirds of manufacturing value-added is based on agricultural raw materials. Agriculture remains crucial for pro-poor economic growth in most this area, as rural areas support 70-80% of the total population. More than in any other sector, improvements in agricultural performance have the potential to increase rural incomes and purchasing power for large numbers of people to lift them out of poverty (NEPAD, 2002 and Wiggins, 2006). It is within this background context that the study seeks to unveil farmer’s crisis in Bamenda

1.2. Study Area

Bamenda  is located between latitude 6 ͦ 15ˊ and 6 ͦ 26ˊ North of the Equator and longitude 10 ͦ 2ˊ and 10 ͦ 15ˊ  East of Greenwich Meridian (figure 1.1). Bamenda subdivision is the gateway to and from Boyo, Ngohkentunja, Bui and Donga Mantum divisions. Bamenda is linked to the other parts of the North West region by the Bamenda-Kumbo highway, Bamenda-Foudong highway, and Bamenda-Wum and Bamenda-Mamfe highways. It is bounded by Bamenda  sub division to the West, Bamenda I sub division to the North, Bamenda II sub division to the East and Bafut council to the south. It has a total surface area of 22.9km2 and a population estimated at 102.500 inhabitants. This population is largely made up of indigenous Nkwen and Ndzah people together with non-indigenous people from the national territory (Bamenda  City Council, 2010).

Bamenda town located in northwestern Cameroon. It is situated in the volcanic Bamenda highlands. Although communication are difficult because of heavy precipitation and rugged relief, the town serves as a trade and export centre for local agricultural productions such as hides, coffee, and tobacco (Bamenda  City Council, 2010). The Bamenda Museum displays specimens of local handicrafts.    Bamenda also known as Abakwa and Mankon Town is a city in northwestern Cameroon and capital of Northwest Region. It is surrounded by other suburban areas and villages like Bambui, Akum, Bafut, Bali, Chombah and Mbatu (Schuster et al, 2013). The city has a population of about 2 million people and is located 366 kilometres [ 227mi] north west of the Cameroonian capital, yaounde. Bamenda is known for its cool climate and scenic hilly location. It is an important transit for passengers and goods to and from the North West Region.  This population is largely cosmopolitan, made up of indigenous Nkwen and Ndzah people together with migrants from all over the North West, West and other Regions of Cameroon including Nigerians, Chadians, and Equatorial Guineans. Population increase has led to the extension of activities to the Peri-urban milieu as a result of increase in the demand for these services this contributes to the functional dynamism and associated implications registered in the area (Schuster et al, 2013).

1.2.1 Climate        

In Bamenda, the climate is warm and temperature. In winter, there is much less rainfall than in summer. This location is classified as CWB by Koppen and Geiger. The average annual temperature is 19.3c/66.7 F in Bamenda. The annual rainfall is 2567mm/ 101.1 inch The driest month is January. There is 9mm / 0.4 inch of precipitation in January .most precipitation falls in September, with an average of 380mm/ 15.0 inch. With an average of 21.6 C /63.6 F . It is the lowest average temperature ot the whole year (North West Regional Service for Meteorology, 2009),.

The precipitation varies 371mm/15 inch between the driest month and the wettest month. The average temperature vary during the year by 4.0 C/7.2 F. The month with the highest relative humidity is August [90.29%]. The month with the lowest relative humidity is January [ 23.85%]. The month with the highest number of rainy day is july [28. 20 days]. The month with the lowest number of rainy day is December [1.13days] (North West Regional Service for Meteorology, 2009).

In january the highest number of daily hours of sunshine is measured in Bamenda on average. In January there is an average of 10. 45 hours of sunshine a day and a total of 323.95 hours of sunshine throughout January. In January the lowest number of daily hours  of sunshine is measured in Bamenda on average. In January there are an average of 497 hours of sunshine per day and a total of 154.3hours of sunshine .  around 2933.11 hours of sunshine are counted in Bamenda throughout the year. On average there are 96.58 hours of sunshine per month (Bamenda  City Council, 2010).

1.2.2 Drainage

The flow direction of stream remains an establishing mechanism In understanding drainage basin function and stream competence. The ability of streams to erode, transport and deposit loads in fluvial geomorphology exert a benchmark precursor for slope dynamics given the differential geological outcrop of the Bamenda Menchum basin. Drainage basin is located between latitude 6 and 20 N of the Equator and between longitude 9 0 50 E and 10 0 25 East of the Greenwich Meridian (Bamenda  City Council, 2010).The drainage basin is bounded to the North and North East by Santa and Bali Sub Division, to the North West by Bamenda   Sub Division and to the South and South West by the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The study area is classified in to two sub basins. Bamenda sub basin and the lower Bafut Menchum sub basin (Schuster et al, 2013).

1.2.3 Vegetation

The western high plateau was once heavily forested. However, repeated cutting and burning by human beings has forced the forest back to areas along the waterway and has allowed grassland to expand in to the area Sudan savanna forms the dominant vegetation(Bamenda  City Council, 2010). This consists of grass fields leading to the name Bamenda grass fields around the city of Bamenda and short shrubs and trees that shed their foliage during the dry season as a defense against brush fires and dry weather. Raffia palm growing the valleys and depressions (OECD, 2014).

1.2.4 Relief

The western high plateau, western high land or Bamenda grassfield is a region of Cameroon characterize by high relief of massifs and mounntains, cool temperature, heavy rainfall and savanna vegetation. The region lies along the Cameroon line and consist of mountain ranges and volcanoes made of crystalline and igneous rock (Bamenda  City Council, 2010). The region borders the south Cameroon plateau to the northeast and the Cameroon coastal plain to the south. It has a series of volcanic swells running from the  atlantic ocean in the southwestern part of the plateau to the Adamawa plateau in the northeast. The western high plateau features several dormant volcanoes, including the bamboutosmauntains, mount oku and mount kupe(Chombeng, 2011). The plateau rises in step to the west and to the east it terminates In  mountain that ranges from 1,000 metres to 2,500 metres in height, terminating in the south Cameroon plateau. The plateau give way to adamawa plateau to the north east which is a larger but less accidentedregion .the core of the plateau is made up of volcanic  rock, which is ringed by plutonic rock(Chombeng, 2011). The base is crystalline and metamorphic rock. The base rock s primarily gneiss and graite that dates to the precambriam  period. A layer of basalt covers this volcanism has created fertile black and brown soils erosion played a large role (Migrationsverket, 2013).

1.2.5 Economy

The main industries are the processing of agricultural produce such as coffee, elementary food processing, handicraft, cottage industry, education [school], tourism /hospitality, construction  works and transport. The local museum and shops display a wide variety of local baskets, beads, beeds, woodcarvings and bronze statues (Chombeng, 2011). In Bamenda, there are cultural sites such; as the MankonFons Palace with its newly contructed  museum, and the Bali fons palace with its ancient architectural structures (Migrationsverket, 2013). The mountainous tarrain around the city affords scenic views such as that from the mountain sabga over the ndop plain. The city of Bamenda has many primary and secondary schools which offers both general technical and vocational training. It has a state owned university, the university of Bamenda,  which trains students in all three cycles of education that is, Bachelors, masters and doctorate [BMD] in different fields. Several university institutes and professional institutions of learning also exist in the city of Bamenda,The  Bamenda university (Migrationsverket, 2013).

1.3 Problem statement

Crisis induce farming activities like Climate variability, drought, socio-political crisis, land conflicts and host of others is a severe problem affecting agriculture in Cameroon in general and Bamenda  in particular. All these has been fluctuating over the years in Bamenda  causing either extreme dryness or intense flooding and severe wind that pushes down crops as was the case of 2017. Crisis induces activities and variability are among the major environmental challenges confronting crop production systems. Drought is a phenomenon in all this Sub-Division. Smallholder agricultural production seen to be dominated by rain-fed production of maize, groundnut, beans, cassava, for consumption and market. Farmers experience low yield reduction in yields which results in increasing uncertainty about being able to produce the food needed for their families Many factors appear to be contributing to this uncertainty and low. Yield is climate variability, poor soil fertility, and other Crisis induces activities and poor soil fertility. This has affected human activities particularly agricultural activity which poses a great problem to food supply. Farmers deals with risk on a daily basis due to the uncertainty of future weather conditions. Agriculture in Bamenda  is rain-fed (the cultivation of maize, beans, groundnuts, soyabeans) except in try season that irrigation in the cultivation of tomatoes, okra, vegetables among others is practiced, farmers are either faced with delayed rainfall or early rains and at times after the rains come there is a prolonged drought period after farmers have planted their crops. Agriculture in Bamenda , some farmers are surprised by heavy down pours during harvesting periods that floods the low lands hence crop destruction and low yields.