Lukong Pius Nyuylime
8 April 2008
The country's Agro-industrial giant has launched two ambitious projects to extend its plantations.
The Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) has announced it will be planting more rubber and palm oil on over 19,000 hectares between now and 2012. The project which, in effect, started in 2006 will witness the planting and growing to maturity of 6,000 hectares of rubber at the new Matouke Rubber Estate in the Littoral Province and 21,620 hectares of oil palm in Illoani in the South West province. The corporation is expected to spend over CFA 19 Billion for the rubber planting project.
According to the General Manager of the CDC, Henry Njalla Quan , the planting of the rubber trees will last for five years but the plants will take additional six years to mature. "The 6,000 hectares of rubber will add to the already existing 17,131 hectares of CDC rubber farms that now produce an average of 22,722 tons of rubber per year", Njalla Quan said in a recent interview. At the moment, the average annual national production of rubber in Cameroon stands at 56,000 tons. "The extension projects of the oil palm and rubber would create about 2000 direct jobs and 3000 indirect jobs", Njalla Quan said.
The 2007-2012 Vision Plan of the CDC is intended to reverse the slumps in the corporation's production levels. "Palm oil production in 2007 slid to 14,892 tons as against an estimated 20,655 tons the previous year, registering 86 per cent of the annual estimate and 95 per cent of the revised projection", The Group Oil Palm Manager, Njalla Quan said. Rubber production on its part, he added, stood at 18, 223 tons against 21,954 tons in 2006.
"Natural rubber is the best selling alternative now in the world market", Henry Becke, the corporation's Director of Plan and Development, said. "Cameroon's natural rubber would find a favourable market in Asia as the economic recovery in that region has led to a high demand for natural rubber", CDC General Manager said. The CDC, according to its General Manager must heighten efforts at boosting its annual turn over.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 Cameroon Tribune. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
It is also a good idea for the industrial giant to make finished goods so that Cameroon can export high value products. To make such goals possible, Cameroon needs to invest in Engineers.
Hie guys,
I must admit that i am more than blessed to take part in commenting and contributing to this article that i was just reading about the Multi-Billion Development project that was launched a couple of months ago by the general manager of the CDC, Mr Henry Njalla Quan, and its anticipated job opportunities to the economy.I must say that i am more than impressed. I am Florence Nayeu Njinembo, a third year female Cameroonian student in the faculty of Management and Administration(Economics Major) at Africa University,based in Mutare, Zimbabwe.I am currently on attachment(Intenship), by SARDC, which stands for Southern Africa Research and Documentation Centre,and i am working by the Regional Economic Development and Intergration Department. I will like to thank the GM of CDC and his collegues for the brilliant idea of such a prosperous project,and also to encourage him never to give up,but rather come up with more of such projects,so that at the end of the day,the success will be ours and the glory God's. Furthermore,i will like to call on other GM's and top officials to copy from this example ,and to the government to finance more of such projects,rather than financing those that do not contribute to the welfare of the economy. Mr Henry Njalla, i have learnt from you and will copy your example in the long-run.God will for sure bless you and your efforts. Long live Cameroon. My email is nnlorence@yahoo.com and my no. +263 912 430 826. Please keep me posted on what is happening. Love you all.