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Friday, March 22, 2013

Agric minister hails UNVDA GM, staff


Agriculture and rural development minister, Essimi Menye Lazare has congratulated the general manager and staff of the Upper Nun Development Authority, the UNVDA, for what he has termed great strides in rice production in Ndop; in the North West region.
Essimi Menye who was in Ndop last Thursday to launch the 2013 farming season took time off to visit the UNVDA headquarters and its installations. On hand to receive the agriculture minister was emblematic UNVDA general manager, Chin Richard Wirnkar who was accompanied by the corporation’s top management and junior staff. For his part, Minister Essimi Menye was accompanied by a powerful delegation from his ministry including the minister delegate, Ananga Messina. Despite their busy schedule, the minister and his delegation still squeeze time to visit the innovations that are being carried out by the current UNVDA management.
As Essimi Menye was led round UNVDA by the general manager, the minister could be seen nodding in appreciation the good works of the new UNVDA management.
After the visit of UNVDA, Minister Essimi Menye while filling the visitor’s book captured his appreciation of what he saw in the following words “Producing rice is a challenge Cameroonians are facing. I was very pleased with what I just witnessed here in Ndop. I want therefore to congratulate the GM of UNVDA and his team for the work done so far and encourage them to stay the course”.

UNVDA before Chin Richard
Before Chin Richard came to the scene, the giant agro industry had become only a shadow of itself. Rice production was permanently on a decline owing to poor, uninspiring management; and importation was experiencing an upward trend. The general manager himself had a more technical description of the situation when he told the government daily, Cameroon Tribune: “…in the recent past, we only had four new tractors and one old one. We suffered a lot and pressure on their use was coming from our five production sectors of Upper and Lower Bamunka, Babungo, Bangolan and Monoum…”
In addition, workers were far from satisfied with the way they were being treated and this dampened their enthusiasm in no small way thereby negatively affecting the general output of the UNVDA.
Instead of making extra efforts to improve the situation, Chin Richard’s successive predecessors spent time paying lip service and blaming the government for not giving subventions to the project. They would not spare any effort to fulminate the powers-that-be for giving priority to other areas and ignoring the UNVDA project.

The new GM’s managerial acumen
Today, however, the story has changed completely. Go to the agro industrial complex and you will see a complete transformation of the place in every sense of the word. Thanks to the managerial acumen of the new general manager, many more specialized equipment have been acquired from the ministry of agriculture and rural development.
Hear Chin Richard again: “We now have a combined harvester for paddy rice transplanting, and rice and maize seed planters. The paddy rice transplanter is a major innovation in Cameroon. That apart, we are into a partnership with Ecofarms to develop farms in Bambalang village. A complex for our finished products is near completion and we have also rehabilitated our head office in Ndop. We are equally into the process of planting pillars to secure land under UNVDA management. Another major innovation is the introduction of upland or rain-fed rice production. We are also putting in place a digital map of UNVDA to facilitate the proper management of the agro industry.”
Is this not how a modern and development-seeking manager works? Is this not the kind of visionary leadership that the president of the republic has all along been recommending for Cameroonians? If every Cameroonian in their own area worked with such foresight and determination to succeed like Chin Richard is doing, would Cameroon still be marking time in the battle of development? If we were to allot marks to general managers in this country, would Chin Richard not score an enviable 99.99 percent?

Positive results, incredible prospects
The results of the outstanding investments that this agricultural luminary has put in place can only escape the view of the blind. Within a short time in office, UNVDA rice production has almost tripled that of 2010, and sales are also witnessing an increasing demand. Unlike what used to obtain in the past, over 4 000 tons of rice can now be found at UNVDA at any given time.
True it is that the increased production is not yet enough to totally reverse importation trends, but there is undoubtedly effulgent light at the end of the tunnel in this sector. Chin Richard’s words are once again more explicit: “…the new paddy rice transplanters which are an innovation in Cameroon will help take farmers from manual to mechanized production levels. The new acquisition is the government’s response to the cry of farmers to cultivate larger farm areas for cereals and other crops. The machines will contribute enormously in efforts to provide domestic rice and corn and reduce importation. We will now significantly increase the surface area cultivated to step up tonnage of rice and corn, and why not step up production by about 5.7 tons per hectare.”

UNVDA headquarters a facelift
The exemplary general manager that Chin Richard is did not also close his eyes to the dilapidating state of the corporation buildings. One of the first things he did when he took over was the renovation of the buildings to give UNVDA headquarters a facelift.
And an undisputed facelift the buildings have truly had! The walls, pillars and ceilings that were almost giving way are now firmly in place and new coats of paint are not only visible but also catch the attention of every passer-by. In fact, driving through Ndop without noticing the imposing and sparkling UNVDA headquarters building is like driving through Etoudi in Yaounde without noticing the Unity Palace! Besides, new furniture, computers and other information and communication technology gadgets have been installed in the offices, making UNVDA a veritable modern day outfit comparable to others of world class.   

Chin Richard: The Award winning GM
It was apparently on account of the above that Cameroonians unanimously voted UNVDA; thanks to Chin Richard as The Guardian Post 2012 Development Award winner.

About UNVDA
The Upper Nun Valley Development Authority (UNVDA) is a Development Corporation created in 1970 as a Mission by Presidential Degree NO  70/DF/529 of October 29,1970 and later transformed into a Development Authority by another Presidential Degree NO 78/157 OF May 11, 1978. Its present statutory area of intervention touches five Divisions of the North West and west regions of Cameroon namely:Mezam,Ngoketunjia and Bui in the North West; and Noun and Bamboutos in the West Regions.
General objectives 
To reduce poverty amongst the   inhabitants of its area of intervention, To contribute to food security in the area in particular and the country in general, To increase agricultural production and productivity in the area and To facilitate the processing and marketing of farmers’ produce.

Strategic objectives
To facilitate access to rural infrastructure for the farmers of the area, .To ensure the sustainable management of the natural resources of the area and To facilitate the organisation of the farmers in to professional groups.

Target population
The total population of UNVDA’s area of intervention stands at about 450.000 inhabitants. Close to 90% of this population are farmers, some 8,000 of whom constituted our direct contact group for the 2006/2007 cropping season. Within the framework of our five-year plan for the period from january2008 top December 2013, our target is to raise the size of this farmer population to at least 70,000.

Increasing rice production and productivity in the area
Seed multiplication: Every year, we produce and distribute tones of quality rice seed to our contact farmers. We also train farmer in appropriate seed selection techniques and a good number are now producing good quality seeds for their own use and for distribution to other farmers.
·         Agricultural extension: UNVDA assists farmers of the area in the use of Improved farming techniques through the provision of extension services especially in the domain of rice cultivation. Our frontline extension workers live with, and offer technical advice to the farmers on a daily basis.
·         Development and maintenance of paddy Fields: Over the years, UNVDA has used its equipment pool to develop and maintain about 2,532 hectares of paddy fields, which are now being use by farmers for irrigated paddy production. We also assist the farmers in the maintenance of this land by rebuilding flattened contour bunds.

Facilitating access to rural infrastructure for the farmers
·         Construction and maintenance of irrigation and drainage infrastructure: The main irrigation structures constructed by UNVDA include 14 dams, 49 distributors and about 220km of irrigation/drainage canals. We also carry out regular maintenance of these structures with the participation of the farmers.
·         Bulldozing, expanding and maintenance of access roads: Since its creation, UNVDA has bullbozed, expanded and regularly maintained about 150km of access roads into the paddy fields of the area.

Organizing the farmers into professional groups
·                    Sensitization of farmers: At UNVDA, we believe that the most sustainable farmers’ groups freely created by the farmers themselves. What we do is create awareness of the benefits of effort pooling. The result of this activity is the existence of 257 common initiative and economic interest groups of rice farmers in the area. We are presently sensitizing them on the need to transform the groups into unions and subsequently federations.
·                     Capacity-building in group management: The aim of this activity is to provide the farmers with the necessary skills for the running of the affairs of the groups and apex organizations which are being created following our sensitization campaigns. We therefore train the farmers on group management skills, communication skills, astute negotiation, lobbying and advocacy techniques, just to name a few.
·                     Organisation of exchange visits: We assist our contact farmers in the organisation of exchange visits between their groups and other groups. This is intended to facilitate experience sharing from which the farmers could draw useful inputs to improve the organisation of their groups.

Facilitating the processing and marketing of farmers’ produce          
With the help of its hulling unit which has a capacity of 3.5 tonnes/hr, UNVDA assist rice farmers by processing and marketing thousands of tons of their paddy every year.Between 1986 and 2003, the corporation processed over 30.000 tonnes of farmers’ paddy giving an average of about 1.500 tonnes per annum. Farmers’ produce shall be purchased by the project.
Ensuring sustainable management of natural resources
·                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Sensitization on sustainable land use systems: In order to halt environmental degradation caused by crop production and grazing activities in the area, we organize sensitization and concertation forums on sustainable harnessing  and preservation of land resources.
·                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Pasture improvement:This activity aims at reducing the conflict that occur between crop producers and graziers who come into the area on transhumance every year. We are presently sourcing for funding for this activity, which of cattle drinking points and the training of graziers on improved pasture management.
·                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Aforestation/reforestation: this activity is an attempt by UNVDA to reverse the effects of deforestation caused during the development of paddy fields and other infrastructure in the area (such as the Bamendjin dam).

Perspectives
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations estimates that Camùeroon imports over 300,000 tonnes of clean rice per annum, despite the enormous potentials for the production of the crop in the country. Trial results have shown that in many parts of the country, paddy yields can reach 8 to 10 tonnes per hectare, with the possibility of growing more than one crop annually in some areas.
UNVDA carried out its activities smoothly in view of helping farmers to harness these potentials until the economic crises stroke the country in the late 1980’s. By 1988, the corporation was earmarked for liquidation and has since then functioned with difficulties due to inadequate funding for over twenty years.
Considering the important role it plays in the development of the area and in the promotion of rice production, the state reconsidered its decision and enlisted UNVDA with other State Corporations for rehabilitation. The rehabilitation exercise is ongoing since 2009.
The area of intervention of the New UNVDA would be extended to other areas of the southern part of Cameroon so as to increase the number of beneficiaries and substantially boost the country’s rice production. We have envisaged the development of 20,000 hectares of paddy fields for some 70,000 smallholder farmers and 100,000 hectares for mechanized rice production, the objective being to increase annual paddy production to about 500,000 tonnes in ten years. The commercial department took off in full swing with a sales outlet in Bonaberi-Douala, others will follow suit.
                                   

FUNDING 
Present Funding Sources

At the moment, UNVDA relies mainly on government subventions and internally generated funds to sponsor its activities. Our main internal funding sources include the hiring out of equipment and sales of clean rice and rice by-products.

Prospective Funding Sources

One of the main strategies for the revival of the activities of UNVDA is the building of sustainable partnership with Non Governmental Organizations and funding institutions. Possible areas that may be of interest to funding partners and other actors are:  Natural resources management,  Irrigation management, including the construction and maintenance of irrigation and drainage infrastructure, construction and maintenance of farm-to-market roads, Seed multiplication and  Support to farmers’ organisations.
 Direct involvement in rice production as is the case of EcoFarms which is presently developing 150 hectares for rice production in collaboration with UNVDA.

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