Cameroon latest news: Tomato farmers tok how border wey goment lock di cause dem ‘heartaches’ and debts
Mbombo Yaye, laik plenti farmers for Cameroon di hear bad as deh no fit sell tomato out-side kontri laik before, price don drop, and market no dey.
"Just now ah di fear heart attack as ah no fit pay about FCFA six million weh ah borrow for work tomato", Mbombo Yaye tell BBC New Pidgin. Cameroon lock borders for March 17, 2020, for stop de spread for coronavirus and tomato farmers na some group of pipo weh deh lose plenti. Just now, for seka say borders bi locked, we no fit sell we tomato, motor dem di waka inside quarters for sell but we di lose plenti, big market na outside kontri, Yaye tok. "Ah farm tomatoes for six hectares for Mbalamba for Mbam et Kim, center region. For plant sotei harvest, ah di spend laik 1.5milion for hectare. Pay pipo for work de farm, plant, weed, harvest and transport tomato for market", Yaye explain. Price for tomato now na FCFA 1500, FCFA2000, FCFA 2500 and FCFA3000 and e depend for de basket. "For harvest one basket tomato, ah di pay for FCFA 100; for arrange and tie FCFA 200, FCFA 100 for carry am for roadside and pay motor from farm to FCFA 150,000 for carry 250 baskets to Marche 8em". Wen ah calculate weti ah spend na only FCFA 600 di komot for basket, we no fit even get half of de moni weh we invest for work de tomato, Yaye tok. How farmers bin di sell tomato before Before, Nigerians bi di kam buy tomato from Marche 8em for Yaoundé, den, basket bin bi na FCFA 6000 - 8000. Farmers bi di take dia tomato from Foumbot for west region go sell for Gabon. Dis taim last year, we bi di sell tomato for Nigerians weh deh di kam buy for FCFA 8000. Before midday, tomato don finish for market, Yaye tok. How dis situation di change farmers dia life According to Yaye, de situation don cause die for two farmers for Bangante, West region. Also, one shop owner weh e bi di borrow farmers up to 55million, wen e hear say deh di sell for basket for 2000, e hang e sef, Yaye tori. Just now, for ma house chop moni na FCFA 2000, and ah di tell ma woman say na tomatoes dey make deh cook am wit anytin. Before ah use to give FCFA 3500 as chop moni. E di hard now for pay house. Before ah bi use to pay two moons one taim, but now ah fit give landlord weti ah get. Ah thank God yi too di understand say outside bad. 'Machines and fertilisers good but e no fit solve we problem' Goment don promise for give dem some machines, fertilisers, pumps, and other farm inputs for farmer and di still check how for re-open border. Yaye say na good tin for support dem. But, weti deh want na make goment reopen land border make deh sell dia tomato to oda kontris. Also, make goment open company for process tomato or reopen, SCAM for Foumbot, centre for tomato for kontri for 1998. For dat taim, deh company weh e bi di process tomato bi di weigh for killo buy and problem no bi dey. For now, e no bi clear how many tons for tomato Cameroon di produce, na as borders lock weh kontri pipo di see say Cameroon di farm plenti tomato.