Project Focus: Food security
Estimated cost: 130 million FCFA (€198’000)
PROJECT FACT SHEET
Geographical area: Kupe Muanenguba Division (KMD), South West Province of Cameroon
Potential beneficiary population: 300’000 farmers, with special focus on women food producers
Sector: Agriculture/food production and rural/village development
Function: Scientific and technical capacity building
Key themes:
– Income generation and endemic poverty reduction;
– Food production, food security and improved livelihoods;
– Better nutrition for sound cognitive development of the youth, work productivity and strengthening of the immune system against infections, including HIV/AIDS.
Rationale: Translate into practical outcomes in KMD the Cameroon government’s policy commitments on poverty reduction contained in its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), as well as key elements of some international development programmes such as the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Specific objectives.
Module 1. Implement the recommendations of the Cameroon Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) regarding the efficient management and productivity of the Chede Agric Project in Muambong (KMD), whose objective is to serve as training centre for farmers in KMD.
Module 2. Support the CHEDE-IITA partnership agreement for the testing, multiplication, and propagation to KMD farmers of new food crop technologies certified for their optimal yield, pest resistance, nutritional value, and enhanced economic returns
Module 3. Develop and disseminate to KMD farmers protein maize seeds researched by IRAD.
Executing Agency: Chede Cooperative Union Ltd, with a 20-year track record in the sector (www.chede.org)
Nature of project: Extension of existing community development project (Chede Agric Project) valued by MINADER at 379 million FCFA, and considered in this proposal as the counterpart contribution of the beneficiary KMD population to the new project described herein.
Project budget: 130 million FCFA (89.8 million in year 1 and 40.2 million in year 2)
Project partners: MINADER extension/outreach personnel in KMD; Chede Cooperative Union and other farmer groups in KMD; IITA; IRAD; and prospective donor(s).
CONTENTS
A. INFORMATION ON APPLICANT ORGANISATION
1. Identity
2. Mission
3. Internal Organisation
4. Previous and existing achievements
B. THE PROJECT
1. Agro-ecological context
2. Socio-economic context and project justification
3. Beneficiary population
4. Rationale
5. Management and implementation
6. Community participation
7. Strategic Outcomes
8. Logical Framework (annex 1)
9. Sustainability and exit strategy
10. Replication and scaling up
11. Innovative features
12. Monitoring and evaluation
13. Budget
14 Qualifications and experience of Chede senior management
Annexes:
1. Logical framework
2. Chede registration certificate and number
3. Map showing project site and Chede Agric Project
4. MINADER evaluation of Chede Agric Project
5. CHEDE-IITA partnership agreement letter
THE PROJECT
1. Agro-ecological context
1.1 Location
Muambong village community, Bangem Sub-Division, Kupe Muanenguba Division (KMD), South West Province of Cameroon (see maps in annex 3).
1.2. Physical data
Latitude between: 2° and 6° North
Longitude between: 9° and 10° West
Altitude : 900m
Climate: Rainy season Ê 7 months; and dry season Í 5 months
Yearly rainfall variation: 2500mm/year to 3500mm/year.
Minimum monthly temperature variation: 19°c to 21°c
Maximum monthly temperature variation: 30.55°c to 35.20°c
Relative humidity (RH%) : 85%
Note: Most important months for crop production are from March to November.
1.3. Geomorphology and Hydrology:
The topography is generally hilly and undulating with land of more gentle slope scattered through out. The general impression is that of isolated hills interspaced with valleys. The land in the west appears hillier than that in the east. There are several streams, rivers and crater lakes within the villages, a feature that favours irrigation. Some display great natural scenery such as the “Chede” and “Ehene” falls.
Soil type: The soil is of volcanic origin, mostly lava flow. Parent soil material is Basalt. The soil is weathered into a reddish brown clay loam. Hand feel of texture shows silty loam to loam texture. Munsel colour observation of the profile shows a variation from black, YOYR 2/2 to dark reddish brown, 5YR2/2 at the top. The lower layer shows dark brown, 7.5YR4/4. Soil classification is Oxisol.
1.4. Bio-diversity
The project zone, which lies along the Mount Cameroon volcanic chain, is rated in soil maps of the Cameroon Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) and of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as being among the most fertile regions of Africa suited for a wide range of farming activities (agro-biodiversity). Its pristine natural endowments include the Kupe and Edib forests which in the past ten years or so have been the subject of research work by some organizations such the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the UK’s Royal Botanic Gardens. For example, a BBC environment report issued in August 2005 entitled “Cameroon yields plant spectacular” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4162602.stm) states the following about the project zone: “A ten-year survey in Cameroon by scientists from the UK’s Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew has turned up more than 200 previously unknown plants. The researchers have found a higher diversity of plants in the Kupe-Bakossi region that at any other site in tropical Africa.”