Agriculture

Agriculture is by far the largest sector in SNV Cameroon, with 3 value-chain-based sub sectors. The approach in all sub-sectors will continue to be: capacity building for specific, critical improvements in production; awareness rising to ensure wide-spread understanding on key issues; multi-stakeholder processes for assessments, planning, implementation, and learning; market orientation/business development; and Public-Private Partnership.

Sub sector: Livestock/Pastoralism

The overall goal of the program is to improve livelihoods of 56,000 pastoralists of which 12,000 are women through increased productivity of the pastoral livestock production system and marketing of their products. We ambition to achieve this through following objectives:

• Improved efficiency of pastoral livestock production system for pastoralists through improved production systems, reduced degradation of water and grazing land resources at local level, and increased investment in pasture improvement;
• Increased opportunities for income generation through appropriate marketing mechanisms for cattle, sheep, and goats;
• Enhanced performance of pastoralist women’s cooperatives and GICs’ in production, collection, processing, and marketing of milk and dairy products. The overall results are expected in 48 months life span of the program, with focus on men and women pastoralist organizations in the Far North and North West regions of Cameroon.

Sub sector: Cash Crops (including NTFPs)

NTFP (non-timber forest products)

NTFPs are almost exclusively sold by producers for cash to wholesalers for export. Production is mainly done by women and minorities, and thus the development of NTFP value chains is especially appropriate for their empowerment. The overall objective is increased profitability of cash crops for the rural poor within a framework of environmental sustainability. This will be achieved through:

• Increased sustainable production of high value NTFPs through regeneration (domestication) and management of NTFP plant species;
• Improved quality and quantity of NTFPs on the market through capacity strengthening of producers and wholesalers;
• Improved linkages and market access for direct NTFP value chain actors;
• Leveraged access to finance. The NTFP program component is in the “scale with impact” phase. The overall results are expected in 48 months life span of the program, with focus on 100 NTFP small and medium size enterprises of about 50,000 people focused in the Centre, South and East regions. Fundraising has been very difficult for NTFPs, and if no resources are mobilized by Q3 2012, a phase down/phase out of these value chains will be initiated. 

Cacao

For the cocoa component, In the first half of 2011, SNV Cameroon did a quick review of cash crop value chains where there might be a value-added niche. Several pertinent opportunities were identified, and in 2012 a more thorough assessment will be completed on cocoa, and the programme concept proposal revised accordingly. The total estimated number of direct, individual beneficiaries is 30,000 people focused in the centre and south regions, although the estimate of 5,000 beneficiaries for the cocoa program component is very rough because the programme is in the very initial stages.        

Sub sector Food Crops

In order to intensify SNV’s positioning in the agricultural sector, a quick review of food crop value chains was done at the beginning of 2011 to see if there might be a value-added niche for SNV and Maize value chain has been chosen. Interesting opportunities were identified, and in 2012 a more thorough assessment will be completed on the Maize value chain and the programme concept proposal revised accordingly. The total estimated number of direct, individual beneficiaries is 10,500 people in the North West and Far North regions, although this is a very rough estimate because the programme is in the very initial stages.