Cover_Rebuilding West Africas Food Potential

Chapter 16. Enhancing cassava marketing and processing in Cameroon 529

MIS has undergone two major phases:

1. October 2009-June 2010: information on market prices and quantities prioritized by PNDRT were
   collected on a weekly basis by 25 surveyors from DESA and released on the Esoko platform through
   the internet network. Absent partnership with a local mobile phone operator (being negotiated at
   that time) meant difficulties when accessing market information through cell phones.


2. July 2010-December 2010: Information, while still being collected, was no longer released on the
   Esoko platform, and not available from PNDRT either. Failures were apparently due to a lack of
   financial incentives for workers and managers, according to DESA executives.

Since June 2011, value chain information access and access to information on prioritized roots and
tubers’ markets were suspended, awaiting effective payment for the usage rights of the annual license.

Box 4. The National Program of Roots and Tubers’ Development (PNDRT)

In order to avoid spreading and duplication of means and efforts to upgrade the cassava sectors by several

programs and projects, the government has established the PNDRT in 2004, assisted by IFAD, within which

cassava represents 80 percent of activities and funding. The initial goals that were set at inception were:

Strengthening the organization of the commodity chain of roots and tubers through capacity-building of producers

and processors’ organizations (as well as other stakeholders), promoting an inclusive and inter-professional sectoral

development in a sustainable fashion, improve the marketing channels and market access of producers and proces-

sors’ organizations at the local, regional, and sub-regional levels, for both fresh and processed products;

Improve processors’ response to increases in the market demand of products’ quality and quantities through

a better access to information services and appropriate communication technologies, post-harvest and

processing technologies, at the various stages of the marketing chain;

Contribute to sustainable intensification of roots and tubers’ production through the use of upgraded

technologies which are adapted to farmers’ capacities and means, especially women, so as to enable them

to better address market requirements.

The downstream part of the value chain has been subject to several changes driven by the PNDRT program,

among which have been observed the following:

Regarding processing and equipment providers: (1) The long-term sustainability of semi-industrial process-

ing units which would be specialized in traditional by-products appears as very uncertain because of (i) the

fierce competition from artisanal lowly-priced production, (ii) difficulties to have consistent sourcing in sufficient

quantities, which are yet necessary requirements to achieve expected economies of scale and build critical mass,

(iii) constraints in terms of the populations’ purchasing power, which cannot induce any improvement in quality

with enough valorization (monetarily); (2) The real impacts of extension and support services of PNDRT to villages

and small rural enterprises of the cassava sector are not significant. Hence, support to processors should first

prioritize assistance to well-screened producers’ organizations so as to acquire equipment.

Regarding market access and finance sourcing: Several POs which have benefitted from substantial support

for equipment still face difficulties to achieve full development. Indeed, their expansion could be sustained only

on condition that they can source sufficient tubers’ quantities, have appropriate collecting means, and rely on

well-organized marketing sources and channels, with some management and prospective support.