Food experts says roughly 40 percent of the 2.6 million metrix tons of fruits produced in Cameroon in 2019 went to waste between harvesting and commercialisation.
Reasons for the wastage are various. Firstly, the supply of fruits far exceeds consumption. Secondly, bad road conditions lengthen the time to haul the fruits from farms to markets. Thirdly, the packaging of the products is still not very appropriate.
What can be done ?
Firstly, the MINAGRI, the MINADER, the Agricultural departments and the Food Sciences departments of our universities must join hand and roll out each year mass campaigns to educate farmers on fruit preservation and conservation techniques. Secondly, legislation should fund and mandate fruits and vegetables snacks or lunches in schools. And thirdly, governments should earmark millions in small business grants every year to boost private investments in fruits set up, promote private investment in fruits transformations and processing.
The National Employment Fund, Pajer U, and the Service Civique de Participation au Developement (SCPD) are existing structures tasked among others to create enthusiasm for fruits transformation and processings. It looks they aren’t living up to the expectations. Something else ought to be done.
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