SOWEDA donates farm inputs to tomato farmers in South West.

This was during an event held at the esplanade of the head office of the South West Development Authority, SOWEDA, in Buea.

Addressing farmers during the handing over ceremony, the Sub Director of Crop Production at SOWEDA, Teba Abel Kemba, who represented the Director General of SOWEDA, said their goal was to ensure that farmers have the tools and right inputs to produce more tomatoes to supply the local market.

The donation, he said, was part of a drive by the institution to fill the input gap faced by farmers in the sector. 

“We are trying the fill the gap of inputs faced by our farmers because population growth means that our farmers can no longer produce with the natural conditions without certain inputs. The demographic pressure on land has made it such that using natural and basic farming measures is not sustainable,” Teba said.

The situation of tomato production in the South West Region, he noted, was improving as more of the tomatoes consumed in the region are now cultivated in the region not sourced from the North West and West region again.  

Given that the crop is new in the region, Teba pledged SOWEDA’s readiness to accompany farmers in the region. 

“Now most of the tomatoes used here are from our farms around Buea and Limbe. We are very comfortable with our production,” he said.

Teba expressed his desire to see farmers in the region to boost their production and make more money in line with SOWEDA’s goal of empowering the rural people of the South West Region.

The farmers received fungicides, pesticides and fertilisers to resolve most of the problems faced. 

“They also face pests and diseases so we think these inputs, which constitute principally of fungicides, and insecticides will help them to curb pests, while the fertilisers will help to step up the level of soil fertility,” Teba explained.

On his part, the Divisional Delegate for Agriculture and Rural Development in Fako, Nkeangnyi Lawrence, said the beneficiaries were selected based on their commitment and the sizes of their farms. 

He saluted SOWEDA for supporting farmers to boost the production of the vital crop in the region.

One of the beneficiaries, Fietsop Tenkeang Blessing, expressed gratitude to SOWEDA for the donation and said previous donations had helped her increase the size of her farm.

“The last time I got these inputs, I discovered that the sizes and quantity of my produce increased. This motivated me to increase my farm size to a hectare to increase my yields and profit,” Tenkeang said. 

She added that inputs remain the most important support a farmer needs to ensure agriculture is beneficial.

Another beneficiary, Mbah Augustine, said the previous input support had boosted his harvest enabling him send his three children to the university. 

“Two years ago, I harvested about 125 baskets of tomatoes, which gave me very good returns on my investment. This helped me send my three children to the university, so this support will ensure that my children continue going to school,” he said, promising to increase the size of his farm.  

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3269 of Thursday October 24, 2024