World Bank Document

Report No. 17n,3-CMA FILE COPy \/v'stm :!-giahlandsRural DeveloprentFraject- Public Disclosure Authorized Cameroon TechnicalSupplement March 6, 1977 AgricultureProjects Department West Africa RegionalOffice FORU OFFICIAL USE ONLY Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Documentof the World Bank Thisdocument has a restricteddistribution and may be usedby recipients only in the performanceof theirofficial duties. Its contentsmay not otherwisebe disclosed without WorldBank authorization. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS US$1 = CFAF 245 CFAF 1 = US$0.0041 CFAF 1,000 = US$4.1 CFAF 1,000,000 = US$4081.63 IWEIGHTSAND MEASURES ('ietric System) I hectare = 2.47 acres 1 kilometer (km) = 0.624 miles 1 kilogram (kg) = 2.205 pounds 1 metric con (ton) = 2204.6 pounds I liter (1) = 1.057 US quart ABBREVIATIONS -U - Bottomlands Cultivation Unit (UCCAC) 4sse - Coffee Price Stabilization Board C9MlO?.+fTi7T - Department of Cooperatives and Mutual Assistance (Ministry of Aariculture) - Planning Unit - 'Ministry of Agriculture - Provincial Delegation of Agriculture, Western Province FGYADER - National Rural Credit Fund FTDU - Field Trials and Demonstration Unit (UCCAO) C;enieRural - Rural Works Department of Western Province (Ministry of Agriculture) 7:D4F - Agricultural and Forestry Research Institute - Foodcrop Development Agency (Ministry of Agriculture) :'.'s:j - National Scientific Besearch Organization PCU - Pest Control Unit (UCCAO) MU-E' Project Monitoring Unit (UCCAO) StJ - Seed Producticn Unit 'UCCAO) UCCAO - Arabica Coffee Growers' Cooperative Union, Western Province FISCAL YEAR UCCAO January 1 to December 31 Government July 1 to June 20 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY CAM.ROON WESTERITHIGIMANDS RIURALDEVELOPMENT PROJECT TECHNICAL SUPPLEMENT Table of Contents ANNEXES 3. Farm and Croo Development A. Introduction B. Farm Systems C. improvements under the Project D. Farm Budgets, Nutrition, Labor E. Major Crops F. Phasing, Yields and Production G. Field Services and Training Table 1 Average Farm Crop Composition Table 2 Incremental On-Farm Input Table 3 Farms in Project Area Table 4 Phasing Table 5 Yield Projections Table 6 Production Projection Table 7 Farm Budget - Red Ferralitic Soils Table 8 : Farm Budget - Black Deposition Soils Table 9 Farm Budget - Brown Soils Table 10 Farm Budget - Reworked Ferralitic Soils Chart No. 17921: Required and Available Labor Chart No. 17886: Agricultural Timetable 4. Seed Production A. Background B. Seed Production under the Project Table 1 Seed Production 5. Research Trials and Farm Demonstration A. Field Trials and Farm Demonstration Program B. Reforestation Program Table 1 : Proposed Contract Research Topics 6. Cooperative Service Centers Table 1 Incremental Storage Requirements Table 2 : Size and Location of Existing Cooperative Stores Table 3 Location of New/Upgraded Service Centers Table 4 : Distribution of Service Centers This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance I oftsheir official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorLation. ANNEXES (Cont'd) 7. BottomlandsDevelonment Table 1 Technical Characteristics of 30 ha Perimeter - Drainageby ChannelRemodelling Table 2 TechnicalCharacteristics of 30 ha Perimeter- 4 Drainage and Flood Protection with Dykes Table 3 Technical Characteristics - 10 ha Irrigated Perimeter Table 4 Investment Cost Table 5 Cost of Bottomland Works Table 6 Management Team Table 7 Technical Assistance Table 8 Farm Budget - 1 ha Bottomland Cultivation Table 9 EconomicValue of Production Appendix 1 PreliminaryInventory of SuitableBottomlands 8. VillageWater Supply Table 1 : TNumberand State of Present Installations Table 2 Estimationof Requirements Table 3 Locationof Proposed Installations Table 4 : Cost of Spring CollectionSystem Table 5 Cost of a Small Piped Supply Scheme Table 6 Cost of Equipment A.NNEK 3 CAMEROON WESTERNHIGHLANDS RURAL DEVELOPtENT PROJECT Farm and Crop Development A. Introduction 1. Cameroon's Western Province is a unique region not only because of the diversity and attraction of the countryside's geomorphology and the high population density, but even more so because of the unusual agricultural practices and cultivation methods used by the rural population, and the very high proportion of cultivated land. It is estimated that on the average about 95%0of cultivable land is cropped. Pressure for land has forced farmers to cultivate even steep slopes. Details of the ecology and clima;e of the project areas are at Annex 1. B. Farm Systems 2. Cropping techniques. The most striking feature of the present cultivation methods is a system, probably best described by the name of "multiple intercropping," which consists of a great diversity of crop associations. 3. In the western part of the project area, increasing soil fertility has the following influence on crop associations: - the number of associated crops increases from 7 to 14; - the following crops tend to appear: coffee, bananas, legumes, potatoes; - the following crops tend to disappear from the mixture: Bambara nuts, cowpeas, sweet potatoes; - crops whose proportion decreases in the association: groundnuts, cocoyams, yams; - crops whose proportion increases: all other species (Table 1). 4. Elsewhere, on black deposition soils, with a generally more bal- anced fertility, the following changes are observed with increasing soil value: - number of crops in the association are similar and vary only from 11 to 13; ANNEX 3 Page 2 - strong decrease of cowpeas, decrease of beans and a modest general decrease of groundnuts and tuber crops; - an increase for maize, and particularly potatoes; - little change for the other crops (Table 1). The remarkable feature of these crop associations is in all cases the very high crop density, resulting in almost total cover of the soil by the crop canopy. For lack of more precise information, it is difficult to speak about crop competition, cooperation, or symbiosis, but from all appearances, a certain harmony seems to exist between the speed of the plants' growth, their size and form, and their vegetative cycle. This harmony seems to allow healthy development within time and space, and good yields and production. 5. Farm crop associations and farm models. Based on research in the local area, four basic farm crop associations have been identified relating to the four main soil types of the area which are summarized in Table 1. It highlights multiple crop mixtures and high cropping intensity, depending on soil type, of between 112 to 175%. High cropping intensity is the re- sult of long and substantial rains, overall high soil fertility, need of soil conservation and erosion control and, finally, the need for high production from cultivated land. 6. Basic features of cultivation. The rather complex crop associations established in the project area have been developed as the most natural means of soil conservation. The system facilitates speedy production of a dense vegetative soil cover that leaves the soil partly open to erosion only at the beginning of the growing season (March and part April) when the crops are still small. It also makes possible speedy and improved growth of the crops' root systems, a "fortification" of the ridges by the combination of deep and shallow rooted crops, and particularly by crops developing a dense grass-type root system in the upper 30 cm of soil (Maize). All cultivation is on ridges which facilitates the incorporation of substantial crop residues at the time of split ridging and make it possible to cultivate even steep slopes. The ridges are between 50 to 100 cm wide and follow the contour line on less steep slopes. On steep slopes, ridges follow the inclina- tion of the slope. 7. Land preparation. Land preparation begins four to six weeks before the start of the rains in early March. Work is done by hoe and the principal method used is split-ridging. Old ridges are split in the middle and reworked to a new ridge over the previous furrow. Organic materials from crop residues are buried in the old furrow by the new ridge, thus improving organic matter and nutrient content, soil structure, and water retention capa- city. ANNEX 3 Page 3 8. Controlled weedin2. On modest slopes contour ridges and furrows are clean weeded and the weeds placed in the furrows to act as mulch, to suppress further weed growth, to protect the soil and to increase moisture retention. On steeper slopes weeding is done only partially. A part of the weed population is left growing and the uprooted part is placed in furrows to perform a similar function as on moderate slopes. 9. Fertilization. The incorporation of crop residues has been the principal contributor to maintenance of soil fertility. Industrial ferti- lizers, although their value has been proven by research and fully recog- nized by farmers, have remained in short supply. Fertilizer use among UCCAO member families is in the region of 100 kg/ha, whereas to meet the minimum research recommendations,based on response of pure stand maize, at least 400 kg/ha would be required. 10. "Ecobuage." "Ecobuage," a process similar to charcoal burning, is the incomplete burning of the fallow vegetation buried under soil in ridges. The advantages of this technique are: a considerable increase in the sum of exchangeable bases, in pH and in available phosphorus, and a following dramatic increase in yields. The disadvantages are: a loss of more than 50% of the clay content in topsoil (0-20 cm) and subsoil

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