By NDUMBE BELL GASTON
A programme to improve the sanitary and phytosanitary quality of Penja pepper in Cameroon and to facilitate its access into the international market place has been launched at the Chamber of Commerce headquarter precincts in Douala.
The event which took place last Thursday October 24 was the result of an all inclusive collaboration of close collaborators such as the Chamber of Commerce which is instrumental in the production of Penja pepper, the Ministry of Commerce, COLE-ACP whose mission has been identified to develop trade within member states, and the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) who injected a financial oxygen of over 700 000 euros among others, to ensure the realisation of the project’s objectives.
The representatives of key players such as the COLE-ACP’s Maud Delacollette, the Regional Delegate of Agriculture Konde Jean Claude and the Secretary General of the Chamber, Halidou Bello all arrived at the conclusion that Penja pepper stakeholders from nursery growers, agricultural input distributors, small or larger scale producers, processors and exporters, should ensure that they take part in the harmonisation of current good food safety practices, hygiene and plant protection measures.
In all the phases of the three-year project, Penja Pepper stakeholders will be trained on how to comply with the specifications regarding the use of registered pesticides and fertilisers and to understand European maximum residue limits including pest and disease control. Henceforth, stakeholders will have to use personal protective equipments, improve the quality of water to wash pepper and protect pepper drying areas against pests, birds, rain or debris.
Producers are again expected to understand sanitary and phytosanitary risks such as the presence of pests that eat leaves and damage pepper, and to come to know the new EU plant health regulation that is soon to come into force on December 14 this year, including problems of packaging for white, black or red pepper. All of these have to be learnt to improve quality of Penja pepper in accordance with international standards, facilitate its access to regional markets, and reduce the poverty of its actors without changing its original taste.
A well-known developer at the Chamber Mr Koffo, declared during his presentation that, “we are still at the infant stage. We need these measures to reduce or limit certain risks. We need this Penja Pepper project to be well-structured. We need to create synergies to create storage facilities for fresh fruits and vegetables at the airport, for example. We need to develop a platform for actors to exchange ideas and information, to equip actors with control tools to detect or control dryness and to sensitise consumers and producers so as to identify Penja pepper from others, as well as good practices in sanitary management and more.”
The pepper is now said to be grown beyond its ancestral origin in Mbanga, Njombe, Loum, Bouba I, II and III and occupies a total production space of 420 hectares, employing 450 known actors of which 20% are of the feminine gender. Europe is the main export market for Cameroon. The project was financed by a 70% external grant and 30% domestic contribution.