Olive Ejang Tebug Ngoh
6 October 2008
Administrative officials in Meme Division recently joined producers and buyers of cocoa, to x-ray the prospects of cocoa business within the country.
The meeting took place at the office of the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, as part of activities to launch the 2008/2009 cocoa season.The Regional Director of the National Cocoa and Coffee Board NCCB, for the Southwest, Northwest, West and Littoral Provinces, Patrick Tayong Babila, said Cameroon cocoa must maintain its standard in the world market.
He said after the disappearance of Marketing Board, rampant disorder set in the cocoa sector because of liberalisation.Tayong also stated that this precipitated the creation of a regulation of cocoa marketing scheme, though there was no follow-up to respect the norm, for about 20 years.
The Director said, with the disorder, both the government and farmers have incurred losses. He pointed out that it is within the framework that they want the cocoa sector revitalised.
Tayong told farmers and Local Buying Agents, LBAs, that the sale of wet cocoa beans is prohibited.
"Cocoa must not be transported with other products like cement because they spoil the beans. They must be stored in suitable facilities to prevent physical and biological contamination," Tayong cautioned.He told LBAs that they must declare their weekly purchases to the administration, and only experts should be involved in buying cocoa.
While warning the cocoa farmers against mixing of various grades of cocoa, he cautioned them that buyers have no right to impose prices on them.The Divisional Officer, DO, for Kumba, David Kouam, referring to two circulars from the Ministry of Commerce, noted that farmers are expected to set up local periodic markets for cocoa.
According to him, Luc Magloire Atangana, recommends that a marketing committee be created to ensure the smooth functioning of the markets.Absalom Monono, DO for Konye Subdivision, argued that creating periodic markets for cocoa was unpractical because of lack of farm-to-market roads.
He proposed that members of the market committee could create checkpoints to check conditions governing the commercialisation of cocoa.Representing the farmers, Rev. Aaron Ngwa, congratulated government for restoring order in the sector at last.
He said LBAs cheated farmers with fake weights and low prices. Consequently, the producers continue to wallow in poverty while buyers make huge profits.But one Michael Ngassa, a buyer, said it was erroneous to think that the objective of the buyer is to dupe farmers and make extraordinary profits.
He said buyers and farmers enjoy a very close relationship that goes beyond educating their children and changing lives.He questioned why periodic markets should be introduced only in Kumba. To him, the same standard should be maintained nationally if the commercialisation of cocoa must succeed.
Another buyer, Sona Epoke, said the best thing government could do, is to reinstate the marketing board because the entire cocoa marketing set-up has been politicised.
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