Patrimonicide:

CDC Plantations Crumbling To Rise No More?

-GM NgoniNjieFrankline laments abandonment, sorry state of CDC plantations, factories and estates

-Says over 25 Billion FCFA is needed to resuscitate activities in the plantations

By TichaMelanis in Limbe

CDC GM (standing with glasses) in family photo with media owners and reporters after press launch

“The Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC, has been absorbed in a general problem which is the Anglophone crisis, but what we are establishing is that whatever battle or political conquest it is, does not require to be fought in the plantations.”

                These were the words of the General Manager of CDC, FranklineNjieNgoni, during a press lunch organized by the management of CDC aimed at informing the press on the prevailing situation at the corporation and to call on the press to accompany the giant but now sinking agro-industry to get out of the crisis and to avoid losing its patrimony. The press lunch took place on Friday 18 January at the CDC Boardroom, in Bota-Limbe. 

                Exchanging with the curious journalists, the GM said CDC needs to be revived because it has a special connection with the people of the areas where it’s plantations are found.

                To support his claim, Njie gave a brief history of plantation agriculture in the then German Cameroons especially with the creation of CDC in 1947. He explained that security is a prerequisite in such venture as plantation agriculture. But the GM however,  regretted that plantation workers who constitute the backbone of productivity in the CDC have been scared away by armed fighters and today no one is ready to go and work in the plantations.

                Njie lamented that today the CDC is fast crumbling because of persistent attacks by armed separatist fighters. He noted that activities have grounded in most of the plantations and factories across the southwest region and production levels of the various crops have dropped drastically.

                He disclosed that out of seven palm oil estates owned by the CDC only three are functional. As for the 11 rubber estates, just four are productive. Then for banana, out of the 3714 hectares of plantations, only 2005 hectares can be rescued that is, if the rescue mission is carried out immediately.

                The GM regretted that because of the degrading security situation CDC plantations have been abandoned to ruin. He cried out that urgent rehabilitation is needed.

                Estimates of the cost for the rehabilitation of the various sectors of CDC include 7.7 billion Fcfa for the oil palm plantations; 7.8 billion for rubber plantations and 14.1 billion for banana plantations.

                Njie listed possible sources of the recue funds including grants from the government, support from partners and loans which will be contracted based on the business plan that the company has already prepared.

                But he at once noted that for CDC to be able to secure any funding there must be guarantees that plantation work will get started. This is because CDC can only repay its loans with revenue generated from the plantations.

                He said three considerations need be met if CDC must start all over again. These are the readiness of workers and management to get back to work, the availability of financing and guaranteed security.

                NgoniNjie recalled that even before the Anglophone crisis, CDC was going through a crisis which started since 2002 when prices of produce from the plantations kept plummeting in the world market. The situation affected all the three major sectors of the CDC - Palm, Rubber and Banana. It made the plantations unsustainable, he lamented.

                Apart from the falling prices, there were other objective problems including poor crop yield due to aging plantations, with the banana sector being the hardest hit.

                Because of the catalogue of problems faced coupled with the constantly negative balance-sheet, CDC became incredible to its funding partners, most of which were too reluctant to come to its rescue with loans.

                Also speaking on the occasion, the Fako divisional delegate of communication, Olive Ejang urged journalists to contribute positively and use their  journalism skills to save the CDC from crumbling. She advised the press men to always get reliable information before sharing to the public to avoid misinformation.

                To the management of CDC, the delegate congratulated them for the initiative to partner with the press in order to inform the public about their activities. She called on CDC to have an open-door-policy whereby journalists can have access to good information so as not to report rumours. 

                After over two hours of interactive discussions between the journalists and CDC management, the GM thanked the pressmen for their concern they have shown for the plight of CDC since the crisis began in 2016.