CDC Board recommends management to diversify into short-cycle crops.

This was one of the major recommendations made by the Board of Directors of the corporation during the first ordinary session in 2024, which took place on Wednesday June 19 at their head office in Bota, Limbe.

Hope Sona Ebai, the Board Chair of CDC, said the cultivation of short-cycle crops would enable the corporation to fill some of the gaps in its finances caused by the socio-political crisis in the North West and South West Regions.

“With the short-cycle crops lasting three, four or six months, we can have a sizeable income to carter for the people who depend on CDC and the government, which deserves dividends for its investment,” Sona Ebai said.

The Board Chair also added that the new orientation of short-cycle crops would support the government’s import substitution policy. 

“…this is time for us to start growing corn, cassava and crops that bring income that we can use to cover the gap and engage in regular remuneration as we start to renew our perennial crops like palms, bananas and rubber, which take time to develop,” he added. 

While supporting the government’s vision for import substitution by diversifying into short-cycle crops, the changes will also enable the sustainability and sustenance of the corporation. 

The statutory Board meeting was dedicated to reviewing the accounts of the institution concerning the 2023 fiscal year. The accounts were approved by the Board, meaning actions taken by management in 2023 concerning receipts and expenditures are justified.

Speaking to the press after the Board meeting, the Board Chair, Sona Ebai, said the corporation was gradually recovering from the difficult situation caused by the crisis, with some of its plantations not operational because of the socio-political crisis. 

Far from the gloomy picture of the last years, he said the corporation was experiencing progress with a marked improvement of the situation in financial terms. He expressed gratitude to the government for keeping the corporation afloat.

With a continuously positive picture of the corporation emerging, he promised better days ahead for the workers of the corporation. 

“Progress is being made in that our accounts have holes that are not very deep and we hope we can have better conditions for our workers soon. We have performed better even though we are no longer in a deficit, but we are moving progressively into positive terrain,” the Board Chair added.

In this light, he appreciated management for the good job they are doing to make sure that the corporation continues taking care of the population that depends on it. Thus, he called for united efforts from both management and staff, while promising the readiness of the Board to accompany them.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3148 of Monday June 24, 2024