SAILD and the Bandjoun CPF co-organized the second edition of the Yaounde Organic Market this July 27, 2024 at Elig-Essono.
The clock strikes 8 o’clock at the headquarters of the Support Service for Local Development Initiatives (SAILD). The doors to the second edition of the Yaounde organic market are open. Catfish, farm chickens, plantains, China apples, potatoes, spinach, fennel, dried beans, tomatoes and honey are just some of the foodstuffs on display. Everything is produced on Cameroonian soil without chemical inputs. At an affordable price, the housewife has more than enough to fill her basket. For Véronique Wouakam, it’s the ideal place to stock up on organic produce. “I bought vegetables at 300 FCFA, avocados at 500 FCFA, leeks at 1000 FCFA etc…. I bought a bit of everything. It’s not every day you get the chance to buy really organic produce,” admits the regular organic shopper. “I’m satisfied with my purchases. These organic products are of very good quality”, she adds happily.
The people of the city of seven hills are flocking in waves to stock up on organic produce. For Awal Yakoubou, it’s a first. A post on social networks prompted him to discover the organic market. It’s a choice the young man doesn’t regret. “I was attracted to organic produce and I’m not disappointed. I’m surprised by the prices, which are very affordable for the quality of the products I see. I was seduced by the fruit and carrots. The taste is there”, he appreciates.
1.80 Tons of organic products sold
The organic market was a great opportunity for producers to do good business. Of the approximately 3 tons of produce on display, 1.80 tonnes were sold to consumers. “We brought 2 tons of products from Quest. We recorded 60% sales, representing around 1.40 tonnes of products sold”, admits Dannick Ngamadjeu, in charge of the green market at the Bandjoun CPF in the West region.
Similarly, Yannick Kamdem Simo had a field day. “I came from Bandjoun with 30kg of apples, 16kg of tomatoes and 40 heads of lettuce. I sold 90% of the apples, 80% of the tomatoes and 45% of the lettuce”, enthuses the young producer.
Beyond sales, this event was an opportunity to educate consumers about the misunderstandings surrounding organic produce. To certify that his products are organic, Yannick has some good arguments in place: “Organic products take time to decompose because they have been grown without synthetic chemical inputs,” he says with conviction. “For example, the shelf life of a Chinese apple is two weeks in a cool place after picking,” he adds, to make his point even more convincingly.
This second Yaounde organic market welcomed over fifty consumers. A satisfactory figure for the Bandjoun Polyvalent Training Center (CPF) and SAILD. The initiative of these two institutions aims to promote agroecology and organic farming. It is also part of the “Knowledge Center for Organic Agriculture and Agroecology in Africa” project run by the German cooperation agency GIZ. We look forward to seeing you again in November 2024 for an even bigger event.
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