Rice Farming : UNVDA Launches Mechanization

The Upper Noun Valley Development Authority (UNVDA) has established itself as a precursor in the process of mechanising agriculture in Cameroon especially in rice farming. The organisation has acquired new machines which entirely mechanise the production process including 30 manual trans-planters, 5 combined harvesters, 7 threshers,10 winnowers, electronic weighing machines, two rice polishers, and10 motorbikes from planting to harvesting, threshing, winnowing and polishing. The newly acquired equipment was inaugurated by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbairobe, in a gigantic ceremony at the premises of the UNVDA in Ndop on Friday January 17.
Speaking during the inauguration, Minister Mbairobe said the importation of rice dis-equilibrates our balance of trade. Hence the need to acquire this new equipment which will not only make work easy but also increase production and the income of farmers. Ndop he said is only the beginning of a process to mechanise rice farming but also increase irrigated rice farming area and establish a complete mechanisation process in the production of rice within the Rice Value Chain Project. He promised continuous government support notably in opening up farm to market roads, construct canals and subventions for improved high yield seedlings and fertilisers.
The General Manager of UNVDA, Eric Adangfung expressed gratitude to the farmers for their hard work and promised that UNVDA will continue opening up new fields, providing training, state-of-the art equipment and inputs to the farmers. In order to be environmentally friendly, the UNVDA he said, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the North We...