CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

Population growth is the increase in the number of individuals in a specific area such as town or city. The world is in the midst of demographic explosion and unless the trend is arrested mankind is heading towards catastrophe. Many people believed that it is a law of nature that all population at all time tend to go on expanding until they reach the limit of substance. Rev Thomas Malthus was the first person to express concern over rapid population increase which was to be unshelled over the years. Population traps as predicted by Rev Thomas Malthus in (1789) state that man is heading towards self destruction and also in (1998) according to Malthus in regards to the increase in population growth he argues that human beings like plant and animals are forced to increase their population by the urge to produce. If there are no constraints on this propensity to reproduce human  beings will continue to increase their species. When he wrotes in his book “ An Essay of population” in (1789) he observed that the British population was growing in a geometrical progression (GP) while food production is growing in an arithmetic progression(AP).

Africa’s total population is estimated at more than 1.34million with a growth of 2.51 per annual . The fertility rate for the sub sahara Africa is 4.7 this is the highest according to World bank. Population growth will greatly increase the prices of good in the market. Consequently, the reproduction rate of today’s youth will greatly influence its population  size and prices of good in this regions . With the advent of the African food crisis in (2007-2008) attention has been forcused on the food prices across various African countries all in a bid to mitigate the negative effect of price fluctuations.  Factors input like technology coupled with increased competition for arable land as well as others land  uses are seen to affect the volume of local harvest , thus affecting the prices of locally produced food and cash crops in Cameroon. Also, apart from population growth other factors such as seasonal differences , local economic conditions and geographical locations affect agricultural harvest and prices across different regions.

 Cameroon is one of the developing country’s with the total population as per (2014) estimated stood at 22.83million people. This figure increased to 23.44million in (2016) . According to the latest census figures. Looking back to the year (2010), the population stood at 19.97million people. Population increase in the country’s population along the years hence increase the demand for agricultural products and increase pressure on the countries resources. Most often , this increase in demand is not backed by increase in population and hence this lead to an increase in agricultural prices. Most basic food crops and cash crops in the country in recent years have experience drastic price fluctuations and production instabilities , product such as cocoa , rice and tomatoes etc. However, more people demanding good will cause prices to  rise, increase in population will lead to increase in the demand for food in the markets. Cases in point could be observed for Douala Bonaberi which has evidently spread to Bikoko.  Yaounde today has grown significantly with neighborhood such as Emombo , Simbock, and Nkolbisson withnessing dramatic change. The case of Bamenda , the primate city of the north west region, is also evident as this process of population growth seemgly affect the livelihood of farmers who have over the years has been involved in different types of farming ranging from shifting cultivation , bush fallowing and animal cattle farming.

The problem of population growth is not simply a problem of numbers. It is a problem of human welfare and development. Unrestrained population growth is seen as a major crisis facing mankind today. It is claimed to be the principal cause of poverty , unemployment , reduction of plant, abnormal urbanization , environmental degradation and wide array of other social problems.

1.2 Problem Statement

Rapid population increase is one of the hindrance on economic growth of developing countries. The number of people in the world have continued to increase . There are various problems associated with this increase. In population as it concerns economic activities , there are unemployment , starvation, inequality of income famine, over crowding, poor standards of living an poor provision of social  amenities. Population, industrialization and natural disasters present major challenges because of the pattern of pervasive poverty.  According to cutler (2013) population growth , urbanization and industrialization affect the natural resources base in many ways. It causes increase in the demand for food , water, arable land and other essentials material such as increase in population and increase in traffic in all areas. The continues struggle by the inhabitants to feed their families and to cope with the continous unavailability of food stuff at very high prices pose a serious problem to the city of and village dwellers of Bamenda. An increase in population and land scarcity have posed serious food crisis for the population . It is spreading at a very fast rate to all the  other regions that depends on Bamenda supply of their foodstuff.

Cameroon is one of the countries in Africa that is experiencing rapid urbanization or population growth with estimated urban dynamics of about 51percent. This has led to the growth of towns and the peri-urban environments. Bamenda III which forms part of the Bamenda metropolis a primate city per excellence has withnessed peri-urban dynamics which is mirrored through the multiplication of land uses leading to a reduction in some land uses in favor of others. For instance, between (2000 and 2015) there was a reduction in the surface area for agriculture from 2943 hour to 1389hours and a corresponding increase in the surface area for settlement from 1389hectar to 2943hectar. However, an important aspects which seemed to have exclude urban   geographical  literature or better still remains insufficient in the context of Bamenda, concerns scientific perspective on the development implications of land use dynamic at the peri-urban environment. Moreso, researchers have sort to investigate  agricultural production activities in Bamenda ( Kamga 2013) , (Wanyu 2014) . Therefore, the trends and implications need to be given due scientific attention. From (2000-2015) , this peri-urban milieu has been experiencing changes as indicated by population , infrastructure , housing typology and agricultural land use . These changes are largely drawn by a host of socio-economic  and political factors , with population growth largely blame for such development.

To conclude to the above, it is the view of the researchers that if the indiscriminate birth is controlled , the standards of living of people will be improved , problems of unemployment will be controlled as well as capita income of people will be increase thereby enhancing economic development of the economy.

1.3 Objectives of the study.

Main Objective

The essence of this study is to explore the effect of rapid population growth on prices of good in Bamenda . Actually, it is expected that the researchers work will make an ideal attempt at analyzing the following.

Specific Objective

• Population as it affect the future improvement of the society
• The rapid population growth , its effect on prices of good in Bamenda
• Lastly, to investigate the preventive measures to apply in order to help reduce the population increase.

1.4 Research Questions

Main research questions.

What is the impact of population growth on prices of good in Bamenda.?

Specific research questions

• Is there rapid population growth in Bamenda
• Does rapid population growth affect prices of good in Bamenda
• Is rapid population growth a problem to the citizens of Bamenda.