Adoption of Innovation in Agriculture in Cameroon

In Cameroon, agriculture is vital in achieving the sustainable development goals of alleviating poverty and improving food security by ensuring zero hunger. Agriculture in Cameroon contributes 22.16% to gross domestic product and employs about 45% of the active population (Institute Nationale de Statistique 2016). In Cameroon, cropland under different crops has generally been increasing steadily since 1961 (FAOSTAT 2012). Notwithstanding this increase in cropland, food production has not been increasing sufficiently to meet the rising demand (Sasson, 2012). Agriculture in Cameroon is still largely in the hands of smallholder farmers who make up about 70 % of the farming population (Yengoh and Ardo 2014). Cultivation practices continue to be characterized by the use of basic tools, small farm size, low capital input, traditional methods and seeds, high labor inputs, limited control of plant pests and diseases, and low yield (MINADER 2005, 2006).This then make it difficult for the farmers to produce effectively. Cameroon was therefore not immune to the food price crisis of 2008–2009. The adoption of innovation is then crucial to increase agricultural productivity.

Cameroon, often referred to as “Africa in miniature”, is one of the most diversified countries in sub-Saharan Africa with respect to its five agro-ecology zones: from a Sudano-Sahelian North to humid forests in the Centre, South and East regions. The forests which represent about 40% percent of Cameroon’s national territory form an important part of the Congo Basin characterized by a closed canopy moist tropical forest. Depending on the particular environment major crops peculiar to most African countries such as rice, wheat, barley, maize, cassava, potatoes, plantains/bananas, yams and also cocoa and coffee etc. are produced in Cameroon (Besong, 2011). Cameroon has an agricultural sector which is vital to its economy, its agricultural technology and yields lag behind world average yields, and its agricultural potential is great. The agricultural sector accounts for 22.9% of the gross domestic product. It is estimated that agriculture may employ up to 70% of the population. In 2012, exports of agricultural goods totalled 390,000 billion CFA, while imports totalled 655,000 billion CFA, yielding a trade deficit of 265,000 billion CFA (Ball, 2016). Of its 475,000-square kilometer physical area, 15% of Cameroon is arable land, and with its five agro-ecological zones and fertile soils, Cameroon has the potential for food sovereignty. Prior to the 1980s, Cameroon possessed food sovereignty; however, in the 1980s, most West African countries joined the World Trade Organization and had to alter trade policies to comply with multilateral rules, or rather the interests of the economic powers of the Global North. With the liberalization of markets came the end of protectionist policies and the self-sufficiency of Cameroon. Cameroon, like many sub-Saharan African countries is undergoing a demographic and economic transformation that stands to change the quantity and types of food demanded Thornton et al. (2011), Tilman et al. (2011). With an annual population growth rate of about 2.8 % and an urbanization rate of 52 % INS/ECAM3 (2007), food production is likely to face numerous challenges; including particular competition for land with other uses, an increase in the total amount of food demanded, and changes in dietary preferences. According to statistics from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in 2012, cropland under different crops in Cameroon has generally been increasing steadily since 1961. A good example is the cultivation of corn.

There have been diverse literatures on factors that determines the adoption of innovation (Ntsama et Dia, 2008); Kalinda et al. (2014) Salifu, et al, (2015) and equally on the impact of adoption of innovation on productivity Adekambi (2005), Allogni et al (2008). To the best of our knowledge, no study has been carried out combining both the factors that determines the adoption of innovation and the impact of adoption of innovation on agricultural productivity in the Cameroonian context and considering innovation in terms of improved seeds and modern farm equipment.

In literature two streams of thought have attempted to give reasons for the causes of low agricultural productivity in Africa. For authors such as Spencer and Polson (1991) cited by Byerlee et al. (1994), low productivity is due to the lack of appropriate technologies. In contrast to these authors, Dowswell and Borlaug (1991) cited by Byerlee et al. (1994) challenge the argument of the unavailability of technology and argue that increasing production depends on the combination of an appropriate environmental policy and an active program of technological transfer. Agriculture in Cameroon is still largely in the hands of smallholder farmers who make up about 70 % of the farming population (Yengoh Ardö, 2014). Farming practices continue to be characterized by the use of basic tools like traditional hoes, cutlass, small farm size, low capital input, traditional methods and seeds, high labor inputs, limited control of plant pests and diseases, and low yield (MINADER, 2005).This then make it difficult for the farmers to produce effectively. Cameroon was therefore not immune to the food price crisis of 2008–2009. Adoption of innovation is therefore a fundamental strategy to increase agricultural productivity. Diverse attempts are being channeled in ways by which increased agricultural productivity can be achieved through promoting the use of improved agricultural innovations and improving the efficiency of production, cereal crops for examples (Yu Nin-Pratt, 2011).

To increase farmers' productivity and maize production, research has been used. Thus, in 1987, IRAD, through the National Cereals Research and Extension (NCRE) project, made available to farmers improved seed varieties adapted to the different agro-ecological zones and whose potential yields can increase yield up to 10 tons per hectare. Furthermore, the government through the ministry of agriculture has encourage the dissemination of improved varieties of seeds under the auspices of institute of agricultural research and development IRAD and other private research institutes like the International institute of tropical agriculture ITTA and many others. Also, the government has established a tractor assembling plan in Ebolowa in the south region of the country. All these efforts are made to help boost agricultural productivity.

Innovation is indispensable in its role to help meet up the rising demand for food as it refers to a new idea, a method or technique that can increase agricultural productivity and agricultural income (Adam, 2003). Innovation could be viewed in terms of use of modern tools and equipment or machines such as tractors, combine harvesters, sprayers, backhoe, reaper-binder, field cultivators, huller, planters for cultivation which entails mechanization, use of chemical inputs like pesticides, insecticides, chemical fertilizer, improved or high yield seeds, irrigation, improved cultivation methods.

Innovation could be the result of farmers’ initiatives (endogenous innovation) or brought about by institutions (exogenous innovation). The adoption of an agricultural innovation includes the dynamic nature of adoption decisions and emphasizes the role of learning by doing and the impact of that learning has on personal perceptions of the innovation (Ghadim Pannell, 1999). Productivity growth is mainly the result of technical and organizational innovations (Lacombe and Mounier 1994). In Cameroon, adoption of agricultural innovation is low particularly among producers of food crops Fosso and Nanfosso (2016). Only 4%? 11%, and 7% of producers of food crops use improved seeds, fertilizers and pesticides respectively (INS/ECAM 3 2007).

There have been numerous authors who have carried out studies that have illustrated the effect of innovation adoption on farm productivity, they include:

Jönsson and Adman (2012) in their study in West and central Kenya showed that fertilizers and improved seeds do have a positive impact on farm economy thus, leading to increase productivity. Furthermore, Ouma, et al (2014) analyze impact of adoption of improved maize varieties on household having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food at the maize cultivating Basins in Eastern Kenya obtained through the method of generalized propensity score matching a positive impact of the adoption of improved varieties of maize on both consumption, per capita maize consumption and probability to be food secured .On the contrary, Fongang (2017) carried out a study using interrupted time series analysis and time series data collected from FAOSTAT (2016) to analyze the macro and long term impact of adoption of improved maize varieties on maize yield in Cameroon. The results suggested that adoption of improved maize varieties has no significant impact on maize yield neither in the first year of intervention or release nor over the years. Therefore, this study appeals for further studies determining the productiveness of ameliorated corn varieties in boosting the corn yield.