Moungo Division: SYNAPARCAM Green Market empowers rural women.

The two-day event, held on October 15 and 16, 2026, brought together women farmers from Mbonjo, Souza, Mpenda Mboko, Mondoni, Missaka and other neighbouring localities, to showcase and sell their agricultural produce.

The initiative, organised within the framework of the celebration of Rural Women's Day, provided a platform for the women to market their farm produce, exchange experiences and highlight the challenges affecting rural agriculture.

The market featured a variety of locally grown food crops, including cassava, plantains, cocoyams, yams, maize and vegetables, among other products.

Speaking during the event, SYNAPARCAM President, Emmanuel Elong, said the Green Market was created to address the difficulties farmers face in finding buyers and selling their produce at fair prices. He explained that before the initiative was introduced in 2024, many farmers had to transport their harvests to distant markets in Souza and Douala, often incurring high transportation costs and returning home with unsold produce.

The Mbonjo Green Market has since provided a more accessible platform where farmers can bring their products directly to buyers, including traders from other towns.

Elong said this year's edition recorded encouraging results, with many women selling almost all the produce they brought to the market, an improvement on the previous edition when some farmers returned home with unsold goods.

He attributed the improvement to increased sensitisation efforts aimed at attracting more buyers to the market. According to him, SYNAPARCAM remains committed to supporting rural farmers, promoting food security and improving the livelihoods of agricultural households in Fiko, Bonalea and surrounding communities.

He also highlighted the market's emphasis on natural agricultural production, explaining that the initiative discourages the use of industrial chemical fertilisers.

Women seek land, processing facilities

Despite the progress made, the women used the occasion to draw attention to persistent challenges, including limited access to farmland, inadequate processing facilities, poor infrastructure and the heavy workload associated with traditional farming methods.

Speaking on behalf of SYNAPARCAM's Women's Wing, its president, Marie-Noelle Etonde Mbella, called on authorities for greater recognition of rural women's contribution to agriculture and the provision of practical support to improve their productivity.

She noted that women farmers continue to work under difficult conditions, with many still processing cassava manually and losing part of their harvest because of inadequate preservation and storage facilities. She appealed to the government to provide cassava processing mills, water facilities and improved cooking equipment to reduce the burden of agricultural and domestic work on women.

Etonde also called for training beyond crop production, urging partners to equip women with skills in processing, packaging, marketing and cooperative management.

According to her, investing in rural women would strengthen agricultural production, improve household incomes and benefit future generations.

The women also appealed to the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC, to make available suitable unplanted land for farming communities to expand their agricultural activities.

Speaking on behalf of local women, representatives of farming groups stressed that access to land remains essential to their livelihoods and the future of their children.

They also called for practical agricultural training and better access to clean water, insisting that they were willing and capable of increasing production if provided with the necessary support.

Government pledges support

The Assistant Divisional Officer of Fiko, Mvele Biya Frank, on his part, commended SYNAPARCAM for sustaining the Green Market initiative and supporting farmers in the area.

He said the participation of women and the variety of agricultural produce displayed during the event demonstrated their importance to the community and the need to strengthen initiatives that improve their livelihoods.

Mvele encouraged SYNAPARCAM to continue its activities, assuring that the government remains willing to support efforts aimed at empowering local farmers.

Traditional authorities hail women farmers

Traditional authorities and local officials who attended the event also praised the women for their contribution to feeding families and sustaining the local economy.

Representing the Paramount Ruler of the Abo Sud community, HRM Makolle Makolle Jean Jacques, his wife, Queen Nathalie Makolle Bassilekiw, expressed appreciation for the women's efforts, describing their agricultural activities as indispensable to the wellbeing of the community.

She pledged to convey their concerns to the traditional ruler, particularly those relating to their working conditions and access to resources.

Farming groups receive agricultural tools

A major highlight of the third edition was the distribution of farming equipment to 17 farming groups drawn from four Subdivisions: Fiko, Dibombari, Tiko and Muyuka.

Each group received a wheelbarrow, cutlass, digger, hoe and watering can, to support agricultural production and improve working conditions.

The distribution formed part of SYNAPARCAM's efforts to strengthen the capacities of farming groups and help them increase crop yields and household incomes.

The event also featured the recognition of deserving farmers with certificates in appreciation of their knowledge and transfer traditional family agriculture for over 35 years. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3947 of Thursday October 22, 2026