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Optimal Cropping Sequence in Pluriactive Non-specialised Vegetable Farms in the Northwest Region of Cameroon

Received: 26 May 2018     Accepted: 4 October 2018     Published: 29 October 2018
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Abstract

Cameroon champions the vegetable subsector in the Central African sub region both in output levels, export quantities and foreign exchange earnings. The country exports, formally and informally, fresh vegetables to neighboring countries like Nigeria, Central African Republic, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Besides ensuring food self-sufficiency, the primary intention of these pluriactive non-specialized vegetable farmers who also cultivate staple energy food crops as complementary and supplementary enterprises is to maximize farm profits subject to the numerous constraints. These constraints are further compounded by an acute incidence of climate variability, seasonal price fluctuations and poor farm planning. This study sought to find out an annual cropping pattern or sequence that maximizes annual returns and enhances the optimal allocation and utilization of farm resources. The study adopted the stratified random sampling technique to interview 120 vegetable farmers in the Northwest Region of Cameroon, from which pluriactive non-specialized were identified. This data was subjected to inferential statistical and dynamic programming analytical techniques. Theresults identified sixteen species of vegetable crops cultivated alongside energy food crops in the study area. The study further identified three cropping seasons in a year (March-June, July-October, and November-February) and suggested the prioritization of the tuber vegetable during the first cropping season, the leafy vegetables during the second cropping season and the fruit vegetables during the third cropping season. This optimal cropping pastern is highly responsive to climate weather risks and market shocks thus presenting potentials of yielding higher profits of up to 5 256 614.8 FCFA ((US$ 8761.0) per annum from pluriactive vegetable farming.

Published in International Journal of Agricultural Economics (Volume 3, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijae.20180305.13
Page(s) 112-117
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2018. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Vegetable Gardens, Farm Planning, Dynamic Programming, Climate Variability, Cameroon

References
[1] Achancho, V. (2013). Revue et analyse des stratégiesnationalesd’investissements et des politiquesagricoles en Afrique du Centre: Cas du Cameroun. In A. Elbehri (Ed.), Reconstruire le potentielalimentaire de l’Afrique de l’Ouest: FAO/FIDA.
[2] Nkendah, R. (2013). Estimating the Informal Cross-border Trade of Agricultural and Horticultural Commodities between Cameroon and its CEMAC Neighbours. Journal of food policy, 41, 133-144.
[3] Alsheikh, S. M., & Ahmed, A. M. (2002). Development of Mixed Farming System in a Newly Reclaimed Area in Egypt. Session No. LMP3.12. Abstract No. 107.
[4] Shu, G., Minkoa, J. R. N., and Molua, E. L. (2018). Cropping Sequence in Micro-scale Vegetables in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. Americanc Journal of Rural Development, VOL 6 (2), 29-37.
[5] BCC (2017). Bamenda City Profile. Bamenda City Council, Bamenda, Cameron. Retried at; www.bamendacity.com.
[6] Hassan, I., Ahmad, P., Akhter, M. and Aslam, M. (2005). Use of Linear Programming Model to Determine the Optimum Cropping Pattern: A case Study of Punjab Journal of Economic and Social Studies, 44, 117-136.
[7] European Union, bio intelligence service. (2010). Environmental Impact of Different Crop Rotations in the European Nation. Conference paper presented at Sustainability planning (contract No. 07.0307/2009). Retrieved from http//:ec.eu.europa.eu.
[8] Molua, E. L. (2008). Turning up the heat on African agriculture: The impact of climate change on Cameroon’s agriculture. AfJARE 2 (1), 220-238.
[9] Ibrahim, H. and Omotesho, A. O. (2009). An assessment of the sustainability of vegetable production under Fadama in the northern guinea savannah zone of Nigeria. Journal of Economic and Social Studies, 44, 117-136.
[10] Adeoti, A. I. (2001). EconomicAnalysis of Irrigated and Rain fed Production Systems in Kwara State. Nigeria. PhD Thesis in the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
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  • APA Style

    Godlove Shu, Jules René Minkoua Nzie, Ernest L. Molua. (2018). Optimal Cropping Sequence in Pluriactive Non-specialised Vegetable Farms in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. International Journal of Agricultural Economics, 3(5), 112-117. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijae.20180305.13

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    ACS Style

    Godlove Shu; Jules René Minkoua Nzie; Ernest L. Molua. Optimal Cropping Sequence in Pluriactive Non-specialised Vegetable Farms in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. Int. J. Agric. Econ. 2018, 3(5), 112-117. doi: 10.11648/j.ijae.20180305.13

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    AMA Style

    Godlove Shu, Jules René Minkoua Nzie, Ernest L. Molua. Optimal Cropping Sequence in Pluriactive Non-specialised Vegetable Farms in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. Int J Agric Econ. 2018;3(5):112-117. doi: 10.11648/j.ijae.20180305.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijae.20180305.13,
      author = {Godlove Shu and Jules René Minkoua Nzie and Ernest L. Molua},
      title = {Optimal Cropping Sequence in Pluriactive Non-specialised Vegetable Farms in the Northwest Region of Cameroon},
      journal = {International Journal of Agricultural Economics},
      volume = {3},
      number = {5},
      pages = {112-117},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijae.20180305.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijae.20180305.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijae.20180305.13},
      abstract = {Cameroon champions the vegetable subsector in the Central African sub region both in output levels, export quantities and foreign exchange earnings. The country exports, formally and informally, fresh vegetables to neighboring countries like Nigeria, Central African Republic, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Besides ensuring food self-sufficiency, the primary intention of these pluriactive non-specialized vegetable farmers who also cultivate staple energy food crops as complementary and supplementary enterprises is to maximize farm profits subject to the numerous constraints. These constraints are further compounded by an acute incidence of climate variability, seasonal price fluctuations and poor farm planning. This study sought to find out an annual cropping pattern or sequence that maximizes annual returns and enhances the optimal allocation and utilization of farm resources. The study adopted the stratified random sampling technique to interview 120 vegetable farmers in the Northwest Region of Cameroon, from which pluriactive non-specialized were identified. This data was subjected to inferential statistical and dynamic programming analytical techniques. Theresults identified sixteen species of vegetable crops cultivated alongside energy food crops in the study area. The study further identified three cropping seasons in a year (March-June, July-October, and November-February) and suggested the prioritization of the tuber vegetable during the first cropping season, the leafy vegetables during the second cropping season and the fruit vegetables during the third cropping season. This optimal cropping pastern is highly responsive to climate weather risks and market shocks thus presenting potentials of yielding higher profits of up to 5 256 614.8 FCFA ((US$ 8761.0) per annum from pluriactive vegetable farming.},
     year = {2018}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Optimal Cropping Sequence in Pluriactive Non-specialised Vegetable Farms in the Northwest Region of Cameroon
    AU  - Godlove Shu
    AU  - Jules René Minkoua Nzie
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    Y1  - 2018/10/29
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijae.20180305.13
    T2  - International Journal of Agricultural Economics
    JF  - International Journal of Agricultural Economics
    JO  - International Journal of Agricultural Economics
    SP  - 112
    EP  - 117
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-3843
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijae.20180305.13
    AB  - Cameroon champions the vegetable subsector in the Central African sub region both in output levels, export quantities and foreign exchange earnings. The country exports, formally and informally, fresh vegetables to neighboring countries like Nigeria, Central African Republic, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Besides ensuring food self-sufficiency, the primary intention of these pluriactive non-specialized vegetable farmers who also cultivate staple energy food crops as complementary and supplementary enterprises is to maximize farm profits subject to the numerous constraints. These constraints are further compounded by an acute incidence of climate variability, seasonal price fluctuations and poor farm planning. This study sought to find out an annual cropping pattern or sequence that maximizes annual returns and enhances the optimal allocation and utilization of farm resources. The study adopted the stratified random sampling technique to interview 120 vegetable farmers in the Northwest Region of Cameroon, from which pluriactive non-specialized were identified. This data was subjected to inferential statistical and dynamic programming analytical techniques. Theresults identified sixteen species of vegetable crops cultivated alongside energy food crops in the study area. The study further identified three cropping seasons in a year (March-June, July-October, and November-February) and suggested the prioritization of the tuber vegetable during the first cropping season, the leafy vegetables during the second cropping season and the fruit vegetables during the third cropping season. This optimal cropping pastern is highly responsive to climate weather risks and market shocks thus presenting potentials of yielding higher profits of up to 5 256 614.8 FCFA ((US$ 8761.0) per annum from pluriactive vegetable farming.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 5
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon

  • Department of Economics, Faculty of Social and Management Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon

  • Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon

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