CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of Study

In order to meet the food demands of a growing worldwide population that is predicted to reach over 9 billion people by 2050, agriculture is currently facing the challenge of increasing food output by 70–100% (Bruinsma, 2009; Dubois, 2011). Enhancing the yield from the current croplands, growing the current croplands, or combining the two strategies at the same time are ways to increase food production. The global economy depends heavily on agriculture, particularly in emerging nations. Agriculture provides the world with food, jobs, and revenue. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 67% of the world’s population depends on agricultural, this represented 43 percent of the total exports and 39.4% of the GDP and in that 43% of all exports includes agriculture commodities.

Agriculture is a major sector of the economy in many countries, and it plays a vital role in economic development. In addition to providing food and other basic needs, agriculture also contributes to economic growth by generating income, providing employment, and improving trade and infrastructure. It also has a positive impact on poverty reduction and food security. (FAO 2018).  According to International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in 2017, Agriculture generates income for farmers and other workers in the sector, and it also contributes to government revenue through taxes and fees. In addition, agriculture supports other sectors of the economy, such as transportation, processing, and manufacturing. For example, a country that produces a lot of coffee may also have a thriving coffee-processing industry, and the coffee industry may support the transportation sector by providing demand for rail and trucking services. (IFAD  2017). According to a report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Agriculture provides jobs for millions of people around the world, both directly and indirectly. Directly, people work in the agricultural sector as farmers, labourers, and other agricultural workers. Indirectly, the agricultural sector provides jobs in related industries, such as transportation, processing, and marketing. For example, many people in a coffee-producing country may be employed in the coffee processing or transportation industries.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which includes Cameroon, is generally the only region in the world where per capita food output has decreased substantially in recent decades. Here, food production has increased more slowly than population growth, with agricultural output growing by an average of less than 1.5% yearly (FAO, 2000). Therefore, the primary method for attaining successful economic development is to encourage productivity and output growth in the agricultural sector, especially in the smallholder subsector (Bravo-Ureta et al., 1993). It is common to anticipate rises in agricultural demand in parallel with consistently rising agricultural output, as a result of increased per capita income and population expansion (Bhasin, 2002). However, Cameroon’s economy still relies heavily on agriculture, which employs over 70% of the labour force, providing 42% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 30% of its export value revenue according to the ministry of agriculture in 2019.

In order to meet the demand for industrial and human consumption, the yield per hectare needs to be improved. Such imminent improvement could be achieved through the effective use of agricultural technology Agricultural technology has emerged as a powerful tool in modern agriculture worldwide, offering innovative solutions to enhance crop productivity and mitigate environmental risks. According to Qaim and Kouser (2013), the adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops has shown substantial positive impacts on crop yields worldwide (Bhajan et al., 2023).  According to Fuglie et al, (2012) agricultural technology has greatly contributed to global income and growth. They estimated that, agricultural technology accounted for about half of the total income growth experienced globally between 1961 and 2007, with a significant portion attributed to increased crop yields. Also, (Wang et al, 2015) found that the adoption of modern agricultural technologies, including precision farming techniques, improved cultivars, and efficient irrigation systems, has led to increased crop yields in China.

Potato is the world’s fourth-largest food crop, following maize, wheat and rice. Its production (225 to 285 million tons) occurs in 10% of cultivated area (Pandey, 2008). It is a significant food crop in developing countries, and is often grown at a significant scale in more than 130 countries around the world, including Tanzania, Nepal, Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Morocco, Pakistan and North and South America, Europe, Cameroon, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, to name a few. It covers about 18 million hectares of land (Struik and Wiersema, 1999). According to the International Potato Center (CIP) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the average annual quantity of Irish potato production exceeds 300 million metric tons and more than a billion people worldwide consume it according to international potato center. Cameroon account for 0.1% of the world’s total production of potato and 0.8% of Africa’s total production (FAOSTAT 2019)

Potato planting began in Cameroon during the German colonial period (1884-1914), but widespread cultivation began in the 1940s, following the introduction of new varieties by the British and Dutch governments (Foncho, 1982; Horton, 1987). Farmers in Western Cameroon’s highlands welcomed this crop, which proved to be well adapted to the high plateaus. In the late 1940s, potato seed degeneration (most likely caused by viral infections) and a late blight infestation reversed the crop’s initial excellent gains, particularly in the extreme southern regions (Kemgni 1973). Irish potato farming is a significant agricultural activity in Cameroon, with an estimated 50,000 to 65,000 hectares of land devoted for production (Martin et al, 1995). In Cameroon, planting occurs around the start of the rainy season, usually in March, and is followed by harvesting in June, probably before flooding occurs. A second planting season occurs in November, depending on the amount of water stored in the soil (Fontem et al, 2019). Cameroon has over 200,000 farmers, the majority of whom are smallholders and women. Its cultivation is typically limited to one crop in places with shorter growing seasons and/or lower total precipitation. During the dry months, such as November and January, however, few farmers plant potatoes near riverbanks and valleys (Fontem et al, 2019). It is grown intensively on a modest scale in six of the country’s ten regions.

The West and Northwest Regions dominate in irish potato cultivation, accounting for 80% (435,354 tons) of national production. 17% of the total is exported to sub-regional countries such as Gabon, Central African Republic, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. These two locations are located in the country’s western highlands, which have cool temperatures and significant rainfall of at least 800 mm per year at altitudes ranging from 900 to 3000 meters above sea level. Despite government subsidies, potato output is still hindered by detrimental farming methods, pests, inefficient use of current technology, poor soil fertility, high input costs such as fertilizers, seed, and fungicides, a lack of financing, and a variety of other factors. This is because not all potato farmers receive these subsidies, thereby causing a deficit in potato production. Expansion in the area of Irish potato cultivation is due to the tremendous growth in the Irish potato production according to the Ministry of Agriluture in 2006

1.2. Problem Statements

Agriculture remains to be a great player in the generation of revenue and a source of food for many people all over the world. Over the past years, this sector has seen a lot of changes and advancement in the different farming approaches and techniques. Nowadays, there is the use of inorganic fertilizer, use of new seeds, and the consumption of reduced amounts of pesticides, the use of different tractors and machinery   as well as hybrids that are resistant to pest. The availability of such inputs has seen the need for the use of natural resources and process with aim of improving agricultural output and reducing costs. In the last few years Irish potato farmers in the Santa sub division embraced agricultural technologies such as, modern irrigation systems, systems of pest and disease control, harvesting and post-harvest systems as well as mechanization (Asante et al., 2014; Donkor et al., 2014). Even though the application and use of advanced technology have led to agricultural improvements, poverty, hunger, and environmental degradation are still wide spread. Increasing soil depletion on the hilly landscape of Santa has reduced crop output and has forced farmers into unproductive marginal lands. This expansion which is aimed at having more farmlands to meet up with the food demand of their families and the local markets have failed because the soil has been exhausted and the people have resorted to the use of chemical fertilizers whose application have affected surface because of the abuse of these chemicals.

Declining trends on quantities of Irish potatoes yield has been evident at the global and regional level. Potato yields have declined year on year by approximately 10 to 15% ⁽Richard, 2022). Constraints to credit access have been identified as some of the barriers to adoption and use of sufficient and improved agricultural inputs in developing countries Feder et al., (1985). The demand for improved seeds was also relatively low, due to mainly poor promotion and marketing efforts, high prices, and the inability of farmers to purchase complementary inputs, especially fertilizer which contribute greatly to the drop in these agricultural yields. According to another study by Larson et al. (2016), the cost of adopting new agricultural technologies are the most frequently cited barrier to adoption by farmers in low-income countries.  That is high upfront costs, lack of credit, and uncertainty about returns on investment are the main cost-related barriers.  Fichman et al. (2010) found that access to information about new technologies is a key barrier to adoption. Farmers without access to information about new technologies are less likely to adopt them.  Farmers in Santa sub-division needs training and support to be able to effectively use modern agricultural technology. According to a study by Poole and Van Den Ban (2009), farmers lack technical skills needed to adopt new technologies. Another barrier face by most farmers is cultural and social factors.  According to Uaiene et al. (2015), cultural norms and social networks could influence farmers’ decisions about adopting new technologies.

Irish potato production in Santa sub division is dominated by small holder farmer using traditional manual methods that are filled with drudgery and a lot of problems, use of simple, low input technology, resulting in low land and labour productivity (F.A.O, 1999). The absence of resistant or tolerant local Irish potato varieties to rust diseases is a limiting factor to Irish potato yield (Iken et al, 2004). Pest and diseases are also important natural factors limiting Irish potato yield in several cases, accounts for 100% losses (Sight et al, 1997). From the above observations this research seeks to answer the following questions: What are the various technological adoptions that can increase Irish potato yield in the Santa sub-division of the North West region of Cameroon? Why did the efforts in the past towards increased Irish potato yield fail to yield the desired result of self-sufficiency in Irish potato production?

1.3. Research Questions

1.3.1. Main Research Question

What are the influence of agricultural technology adoption on Irish yield among Santa farmers in the North West Region of Cameroon?

1.3.2. Specific Research Questions

1. What is the influence of the introduction of high yield varieties (new seed) on Irish potato yield among Santa farmers?
2. What is the influence of fertilizer application on Irish potato yield among Santa farmers?
3. What is the influence of biotechnology on Irish potato yield among Santa farmers?
4. What is the influence of mechanisation on irish potato yield?

1.4. Research Objective

1.4.1. Main Research Objectives

The main purpose of the study is to assess the impact of agricultural technology on Irish potato yield among Santa farmers in the Northwest Region of Cameroon.

1.4.2. Specific Research Objectives

1. To evaluate the impact of high yield varieties (new seeds) on Irish potato yield among Santa farmers.
2. To evaluate the extent to which fertilizer application affects Irish potato yield among Santa farmers.
3. To assess the extent to which biotechnology impact Irish potato yield among Santa farmers.
4. To evaluate the effect of mechanisation on irish potato yield in Santa subdivision

1.5. Hypothesis

H₀₁: There is no significant positive influence of high yield varieties on Irish yield among Santa farmers.

H₀₂: There is no significant positive influence of fertilizer application on Irish potato yield among Santa farmers.

H₀₃: There is no significant positive influence of biotechnology on Irish potato yield among Santa farmers.

H₀₄   Mechanisation does not have any significant effect on irish potato yield