By Ikome Christie-noella Eposi in Buea
The farmers’ open season has been launched in Bueaunder the theme, “Increasing Agricultural Productivity in line with SDG2”.
It was done in aseminar organized by the CEO of ThinkfastBc,MfontoBlaise, and brought together farmers from within and around the region.
The seminar was aimed at promoting farming even at all levels, providing mechanisms for farmers to improve their farming system and get others involved in the business directly or indirectly.
Talking on the importance and necessity of the seminar, MfontoBlaise, explained that“The farmer’s open season is a unique seminar for farmers this year and especially this month of March, since it is the start of the farming season. This idea is driven from the dreams of Kofi Anan who in 2006 said, farmers or agriculture in Africa needs to take a new turn and have a genuine agricultural revolution. So we believe that these are some of the steps we are taking to fulfill the dreams of Kofi Anan”. .
Farmers he said, face a lot of challenges such as difficulties to obtain fertilizers, inputs, finance, information, technical skills and applications and also the recent innovations in agriculture. Hence the Farmers’ open season is an opportunity to solve a lot of the challenges/problems that the farmers have been facing. “We are using the financial know-how of ThinkfastBc to see how we can propel the farmers technologically and also financially”, Mfonto said.
The CEO also added that his organization has so far been able to organize conferences in the North West and South West regions in order to reach those farmers in the grasslands and hinterlands. “We believe that we have helped them so much in their farming career. ThinkfastBc is also a mentorship organization and we concentrate on the individual rural farmers who have the potential to put food on every individual’s table in the world today”.
ThinkfastBc is an agric business development company. “And this is because we believe that agriculture is a business and businesses can only function when agriculture in the country is stable. We merge business and agriculture to launch our own African industrial revolution”. Blaise said
According to Dehlah Jerry of SONEDIS SARL, in charge of Agrodyke, he said the main problem farmers go through is lack of quality inputs like fertilizers. That is why the Agrodyke multi-purpose organic fertilizer was made to remedy this particular situation. Agrodyke helps to boost up crop production, it also solves the problem of fungi infection, black pot in cocoa, and also to help step up the quality and quantity of produce being exported to the international market.
According to GehWung Patrick, a Limbe based farmer, the Agrodyke fertilizer is just the best. “Formerly I was just planting locally;I did not even know the kind of fertilizer to use. But after this seminar, I now know the kind of fertilizer to use which will help my farming and that is Agrodyke. This fertilizer is not only cheap but efficient and economical and can be used for multiple purposes” he says.
Mami Ngum is another farmer who says the seminar has helped to improve her knowledge of the different kinds of fertilizers which is best for her farming. She cultivates cassava and she believes that, the seminar has helped her become a better cassava farmer.