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Bernard Njonga is a major actor of the success of the Cameroonian agricultural fair trade, through the mobilization of local producers. This agricultural engineer, president of the Cameroonian Association for the defense of the collective interests, analyzes thereby the chances of prosperity of the promising initiatives observed during this major event.

Bernard Njonga: " You should have seen the arrival of the producers coming from diverse regions to realize how each of them packaged his products with such skills! "Africa: To what extend can such an agricultural fair trade have a boosting impact on the farming sector?
Bernard Njonga: The agricultural fair trade, before being a farmers’ gathering, gives the opportunity to the producers to compete through their products and their know-how. In this perspective, it is necessary to be among the best to be part of it as the agricultural environment has encountered a certain turmoil in the production. Thus, in this regard and thanks to the agricultural fair trade and the farmers’ eagerness, agricultural production is getting more and more developed.

LA: How do you explain the strong mobilization of the farming sector for this event?
BN: In my opinion, first, the strong mobilization can be explained by the fact that people have been waiting for this agriculture fair trade for 23 years and about 85 % of the participants had never experienced agriculture fair trades. Furthermore, all the debate and the hesitations which preceded this agriculture fair trade and aroused a strong media campaign are also elements to take into account for this mobilization.

LA: What are the aspects of the skills of the farmers or the innovations which seduced you?
BN: I would at first have mentioned the transformation processing or the enormous size of some plant or animal products, where the performances of the producers were substantial. But I am going to surprise you. You should have seen the arrival of the producers coming from diverse regions to realize how each of them packaged his products with such skills in order to keep them fresh with products such as plantain bananas, tubers and other watermelons. Not to forget the animals. Many of them went undertook their best journey. They had to arrive in good shape.
LA: What assessment do you make of the campaign “no imported product” that you launched a few months ago?
BN: Our campaign succeeded about 90 %. There were no imported products during the agricultural fair trade and, better still, the substitute products which we had planned were plentiful. I speak especially about some rice and about dairy products. All the bread eaten in the village of the agricultural fair trade and the surroundings was some bread enriched in local flours, made in our bakery.
" Thousands of Cameroonians were able to enjoy the enriched bread, the rice of Ndop and that of Yagoua. Without forgetting the yoghurts from Tadu Dairy. The project of Ndop sold 12 tons of rice, while that of Yagoua sold seven. It’s wonderful ! "
LA: What types of measure does the rural sector expect from the government at the end of this agricultural fair trade, to keep up with this enthusiasm?
BN: On the eve of the agricultural fair trade, we called for the attention of the Head of State to whom we suggested five measures to turn the agricultural fair trade at Ebolowa into a memorable event.

1. The implementation of a direct subsidy to the producers, in the form of a productivity bonus for crops such as corn, beans, plantain, yam, etc.
2. The limitation of the imports of products such as rice, corn and oil; simultaneously with the adoption of measures to boost the national production.
3. The implementation of bread enriched with flours of corn, manioc and potato, simultaneously with the launch of the programs of support for the production of these products, respectively in the regions of Adamaoua, as well as the Eastern and Southern parts of the country.
4. The creation of poles of promotion of subsistence crops in the high-risk areas of famine and strong poverty.
5. The implementation of the tradition of agriculture fair trades with a frequency of two years on a safe location.