At agropastoral mini?fair in Maroua: Good Neighbors Cameroon, WFP forge market links between farmers, potential buyers.

The fair was organised within the framework of the Emergency Project to Combat Food Crisis in Cameroon, PULCCA. It held at the esplanade of the WFP Field Office in Maroua on November 28 and 29.

It brought together Cooperatives and Unions of Cooperatives from Mayo-Danay, Mayo-Sava, Mayo-Tsanaga and Diamare Divisions for a networking session with potential buyers. 

The fair also served as a platform for direct exchanges between producers and wholesalers, exporters and agricultural support programmes seeking to establish stable supply partnerships for locally grown crops. 

It opened with a session chaired by the Head of WFP’s Field Office in Maroua, Victoria Mwirichia, who used the opportunity to detail the importance of the PULCCA project and the strides recorded so far. 

In attendance were representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, MINADER, and the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, MINEPIA.

Producers showcase crops, transformed goods

Throughout the two-day exhibition, beneficiaries supported by the PULCCA project displayed both raw produce and locally transformed goods.

Cooperatives set up stands featuring maize, rice, wheat, sorghum, soybeans and groundnuts. Others showcased finished products created using equipment supplied through the project, including grinding mills and sewing machines.

Visitors explored locally produced flour from maize, rice, wheat and sorghum, alongside groundnut oil, groundnut paste and cookies made from maize, soybeans, rice and sorghum. Beneficiaries trained in market gardening also presented vegetables such as carrots, beetroot, celery, parsley and cabbage.

The fair included direct B2B meetings aimed at facilitating longer-term partnerships to ensure steady supply chains for regional markets.

Project Manager highlights PULCCA achievements

The Project Manager for PULCCA at Good Neighbors Cameroon, Dr Abakar Mahamat, outlined the background and progress of the initiative. 

He explained that Good Neighbors Cameroon, an international NGO from South Korea operating in Cameroon for over 15 years, works with WFP to implement PULCCA activities.

Dr Mahamat stated that the project has organised 10,500 producers into 164 cooperatives and 24 unions of cooperatives now active across the region. 

He emphasised that the fair was designed to open market opportunities, saying the team had brought producers and buyers together so they can access the market.

Dr Mahamat continued that “we work to ensure sustainable access to markets for our producers”, noting that the ministries of agriculture and that of livestock support field operations.

Beneficiary reports increased produce

Among the exhibitors was Ndelem Boutche Paul, the President of the Union of Onion Producers of Makalingai in Tokombere. He recounted how his group shifted from onion farming to wheat after difficulties in onion production coincided with PULCCA’s arrival in the locality. 

With project support, they planted two and a half quarter-hectares and harvested 1.2 tonnes, which they began processing locally.

He said demand for their wheat products increased rapidly, with restaurants using them for porridge, couscous and doughnut production. This, he said, led the group to expand cultivation to three hectares this year, with an expected yield of at least three tonnes in 2026.

“Once we began transformation, we realised the product attracted a lot of demand. This pushed us to increase our production area this year,” he noted.

Ndelem also explained that the group has begun placing orders for improved processing machinery to produce finer flour after dehusking the grain. 

The objective, he revealed, is to obtain flour comparable to imported products and encourage wheat consumption within Mayo-Sava. He concluded by expressing appreciation for PULCCA’s contribution to their progress.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3642 of Monday December 01, 2025