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# FOURTH PRESENTATION
THE CULTIVATION OF SUBSTITUTES TO CANNABIS
By Mr. MBILI OLOUME
(MINADER)
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# INTRODUCTION
Some young Cameroonians are attracted by easy profits through dangerous activities such as the cultivation and sale of cannabis.
However, there are several agricultural activities that can generate revenue without falling foul of the law.
The following two questions can therefore be asked:
- What can we cultivate in order to quickly earn money without cultivating CANNABIS?
- How can we have access to the various agricultural inputs and financial support offered by the State
The objective here is to promote the use of short-cycle production varieties with a high market value and which are supported by several ongoing programmes in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Consequently, the farmer can have several planting seasons within a year and multiply his revenue. Most of the short-cycle varieties benefit from various types of support from MINADER.
1. WHAT CAN WE CULTIVATE IN ORDER TO QUICKLY EARN MONEY WITHOUT CULTIVATING CANNABIS?
There are several crops but we have retained 4 because of their high market value. These are:
- Irish potatoes;
- Watermelon;
- Okra;
- Onion.
A. Irish potatoes
- At the nutritional level;
- At the economic level: It is an ideal crop for fighting against poverty. With its relatively short cultivation period (90 to 135 days, that is, 3 to 4 months), we can have three (3) to four (4) production cycles per year
depending on the measures taken to ensure constant water supply (through irrigation in the dry season).
What is needed to cultivate 1 hectare of Irish potatoes?
Note: Seeds, fertilizer, pesticides and farming materials are freely given by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
In conclusion, it is preferable to freely and easily make money by cultivating Irish potatoes instead of cultivating cannabis in hiding.
B. Watermelon
- At the nutritional level:
- It is a very nutritive fruit of the cucumber family;
- It has a good calorie content;
- It is used in the preparation of several refreshing drinks;
- It is widely used as a dessert during ceremonies;
- It is recommended for diabetics.
- At the economic level:
It is a short-cycle crop (3 to 3.5 months for early varieties and 3 to 4 months for full-season varieties). Traditionally, there are two planting seasons in Cameroon: - 1st planting season from March to June; - 2nd from September to December; However, a 3rd planting season could be possible on the same land if well irrigated off-season.
The prices on the local markets are attractive and vary depending on the period of the year: CFAF 200 to CFAF 500 for small fruits, CFAF 700 to CFAF 1,000 for medium-sizes and CFAF 1,000 to CFAF 1,500 for big fruits. These prices could double in Yaounde and Douala especially during the dry season.