"MIDENO, Committed in the Uninterrupted Development of NW for 39 years" -

-Anye Matoyah Cletus 

By Francis Ekongang Nzante 

The General Manager of MIDENO Mr. Anye Matoyah Cletus has declared that MIDENO has been involved in an Uninterrupted Development of the Northwest Region of Cameroon now for 39 years. He made this declaration on Friday June 5, at the MIDENO premises in Bamenda during a ceremony dedicated to the distribution of Plantain Plantlets, Cassava Cuttings, Environment Friendly Trees and COVID 19 Prevention Equipment to farmers of the Northwest Region of Cameroon.

Mr Anye Matoyah Cletus said the importance of the role being played by MIDENO in Agriculture and Rural Development in the Northwest Region could not be overemphasized considering the fact that the region's economy is dominantly Agricultural. He further explained that at the moment, there were three projects worth 75 Billions FCFA designed by MIDENO presently being executed. These projects he said were funded by the African Development Bank ADB, the Islamic Development Bank IDB and the Government of Cameroon.

These projects he said included the Grassfield Participatory Decentralised Rural Development Project GP-DERUDEP Phase II which started in 2014 which he said had recorded enormous successes in the Agricultural Sector. The GM also mentioned the Livestock and Fishery Development Project LIFIDEP and the Grassfield Participatory Integrated Rural Development Project which started in 2017.

The Input Packages to farmers included 15000 Plantain Plantlets, 100000 Cassava Cuttings and 11,500 Environment Friendly Trees. 

The GM did not fail to make mention of the fact that the event coincided with the celebration of the World Environment Day celebrated under the theme "Biodiversity".

The drive by MIDENO to encourage Tree Planting for Agroforestry and for the protection of Water Catchment Areas he explained was also aimed at preventing Biodiversity loss. Biodiversity loss in the Northwest Region of Cameroon he said occurred mostly as a result of deforestation and Bad Farming Practices. 

Anye Matoyah Cletus said at a time when the world was suffering from the dreaded COVID 19 Pandemic, the farming input packages were accompanied by COVID-19 Prevention Kits. This he said was because people needed to be healthy in order to be involved in farming activities.

The Director of the Bamenda Regional Hospital, Dr Nsame Denis on his part reaffirmed the presence of COVID-19 in the Northwest Region and called on the population to obey the preventive measures put in place which he said included Social Distancing, wearing of Face Masks in Public Places and the constant washing of Hands using clean water and soap or using hand Sanitizers. He also gave the Emergency number to be called and other numbers of the Call Center at the Regional Hospital in Bamenda. He said immediately any of the symptoms for COVID-19 were noticed, concerned persons should immediately call the Center to be attended to,  as early as possible. The earlier treatment started the higher the chances of survival he said.

In a brush with the media after handing over the Farming Inputs to farmers, the GM of MIDENO said "we are out to encourage our farmers particularly in the context in which we are presently living. We want to preempt Food Insecurity, because the population, irrespective of the prevailing condition will always need food. In March we launched the Farming Season by giving the farmers planting materials like Maize, Beans and Agrochemicals and now that we are in June we are giving them diversed Fruit Trees and Trees to protect the Water Catchments because we need all of these to be available."

This reporter caught up with Tamukong Rachael Nchang, Chief of Service for Environment and Social Management at MIDENO and she said "today is the 5th of June 2020 and it is commemorated every year as World Environment Day. The theme for this year's celebration is on Biodiversity.

 MIDENO thought it wise to celebrate Biodiversity. It is in this light that MIDENO is distributing over 11500 trees, 4000 for Agroforestry and 7500 for Water Catchment Protection. You may want to know that last year MIDENO also acquired 6600 trees and distributed to the farmers of the Northwest Region. This initiative will go a long way to solve most of the Environmental Problems that are plaguing the Northwest Region."


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