By Etienne Nfor Liboh
The Northwest Region has gained 120 newly trained cassava and potato value chain professionals following an intensive capacity-building program under the Second Education and Skills Development Project (SESSP/PADESCE). The beneficiaries comprise 90 cassava farmers and 30 potato farmers drawn from across the region.
The trainees began their courses on 13 and 23 January 2026, undertaking holistic instruction in the management of cassava production units, the cultivation of quality cassava cuttings, cassava processing into starch, and the management of potato processing units.
The Northwest Region is widely regarded as one of Cameroon’s principal agricultural hubs, supplying foodstuffs to markets nationwide and beyond. The initiative is expected to strengthen the government’s import substitution policy, which promotes the consumption of locally produced goods, encourages value addition and creates employment opportunities for young people.
George Mbanda, National President of Profulcam, outlined three key areas of focus during the training. The first centered on enterprise and factory management, with emphasis on ensuring processing units operate consistently, ideally at least 300 days a year, rather than intermittently. This, he explained, requires careful planning of raw material supply, quality control and cost management.
The second area focused on producing according to recognized standards. Given that most participants are smallholder farmers, he noted that collective standardization would enable them to supply supermarkets and even access export markets. “When products are produced and packaged uniformly, they can compete beyond local markets,” he said.
The third component addressed profitability and financial management. Farmers were trained to calculate production costs accurately, evaluate market prices and determine sustainable profit margins. Mbanda expressed satisfaction with the participants’ enthusiasm and confidence following the training.
At the certificate award ceremony, beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the knowledge acquired, pledging to improve both the quality and quantity of their output. However, they appealed for accessible financial support to expand their activities, noting that grants are increasingly rare and that government-backed loans may provide a viable alternative.
The Northwest Regional Delegate for Employment and Vocational Training, Ngwa Anna Anambe, described the project as timely and transformative. She observed that although the region possesses immense agricultural potential, particularly in cassava and Irish potatoes, many young people still prioritize salaried employment in the public sector.
According to her, the government, through the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training and its partners, is working to promote self-employment by equipping farmers with practical business skills. A major challenge, she noted, has been poor cost assessment and weak marketing strategies, which often result in farmers selling produce below profitable margins.
She added that previous grant schemes sometimes failed due to mismanagement and lack of accountability. The government has therefore shifted towards loan schemes with modest interest rates, enabling trained farmers to access finance responsibly while sustaining their agribusiness ventures.
The PADESCE initiative is expected to boost agricultural productivity and foster sustainable self-employment across the Northwest Region.