The northern region of Cameroon was the setting for the training of numerous producers in agroecological practices. The activity, run by the Support Service for Local Development Initiatives (SAILD), took place from May 21 to 31, 2025.
Compost production for 03 months, neem-based biopesticide production, lick stone production, antibiotics made from small chillies, plant-based deworming, papaya leaf deworming, as well as the preparation of balanced soy-based meals and malnutrition screening for children aged 6 to 59 months were the main modules covered during a ten-day training course held in Maroua, Bankara and Koutouloum in the Far North region.
It was attended by 40 growers, including 17 women, from various localities in the target region. These included Hoppo, Badjava, Matfia and Mouda. “Both theoretical and practical lessons were aimed at strengthening beneficiaries’ technical capacities in agroecological practices specific to agricultural production, livestock breeding and nutrition”, asserts Bouba, SAILD-Maroua branch manager.
To facilitate learning, the trainers opted for the 4M method (show, manipulate, memorize, put into practice) and andragogy: “The idea was also to train them in participative and interactive facilitation techniques to enable them to disseminate at community level. It wasn’t just a question of showing them how to do it, but how to make them do it”, explains Simplice Kenne Tiotsap, Monitoring & Evaluation Manager.
Equipped participants
The main challenge is for these producers to be able to pass on the knowledge they have acquired to their local communities. “This initiative is aimed at: coping with the advanced degradation of farmland caused by conventional practices; increasingly unpredictable climate variations, particularly irregular rainfall, which encourages pest attacks on crops; promoting more productive livestock farming; and detecting and treating cases of malnutrition”, he revealed.
These innovative approaches were greatly appreciated by the learners. Michel Mitna, one of the model producers specializing in agricultural production, confides: “The training enabled me to rediscover the importance of agroecology. I’ve improved the way I formulate fertilizers and treatments based on natural plants. Thanks to a guided tour of a farm in Bankara, I was able to better understand the benefits of a seed bank for our communities. Today, I’m able to pass this on to others,” he confesses happily.
Capable growers have thus begun the transition to replicator status. “So that they can easily replicate, we plan to provide them with technical and material support (seed kit, materials and equipment specific to agroecological practices) throughout the second half of 2025”, confides the SAILD-Maroua branch manager.
- Sharon Maché
