ASSOCIATED VOLUNTEER experts

Mission program

• Field visit to the territory of the future Kikot dam - accompanied by Robert Bidime, President of GIC NYBON (GIC located on the territory of the future dam).

This territory, comprising a dozen villages, corresponds to the arrondissement of Nyanon (main village), which is the only one to have a town hall.
We followed the road from the future dam site (Kikot), passing from village to village. Along the way, we stopped to greet traditional chiefs and the sub-prefect, had a reception at the Nyanon town hall, met under a tree with the main traditional chief of the area and, at the end of the day, held a discussion with some fifty people from the GIC NYBON.

The conclusion is as follows: the potential for agricultural production in this area to supply the 4,000 employees who will work on the dam can only be significantly increased by agricultural development of the savannah zone.

Louis exchanges views under a tree with the main authorities in the area of the future dam

• Meeting with Cameroon's Minister of Livestock

This meeting mainly focused on the situation of the pork industry in Cameroon. Louis offered the Minister a guide for pig farmers in Africa. The discussion focused on possible collaboration between AVe and the MINEPIA to professionalize the Cameroonian pork industry.

Louis presents the pork breeder's guide to the Minister of Livestock

•  Meeting with executives from KHPC, EDF's Cameroon branch, in charge of building the future Kikot dam.

The discussion focused on a possible agricultural development project for the area around the future Kikot dam, as the construction of the dam will bring an influx of population to the area through the employment of nearly 4,000 workers who will live there for around ten years with their families. All these people will need to be fed..

An interesting exchange with KHPC executives and local authorities in the area of the future dam

•  Facilitation of a conference in Yaoundé on the key factors for successful pig farming in Africa.

The conference was a success, with some sixty people in attendance (more chairs were needed). There were lots of questions. This shows that the need for training is great.

Mr René Foche, a pig farmer from the Yaoundé suburbs, co-hosted the conference with Louis

• Meeting with the President of the Chamber of Agriculture for the PRO PORC program

The President outlined the PRO PORC program, which is a support program for those who are going to invest in pig farming. They envisage different levels: large investors, but also small ones. They already have a partnership with AXIOM for genetics and with Big DUTCHMAN for buildings for large investors. The discussion then turned to AVe's possible contribution to the program. A draft agreement is taking shape.

Louis presents the guide for pig farmers in Africa to the President of the Chamber of Agriculture

•  Field visit to a 36-hectare property (unexploited savannah zone) in Ntui (80 km northeast of Yaoundé).

The purpose of this visit was to carry out a diagnostic to verify that this property is suitable for cultivation (rainy season crops). The visit revealed the following points: a priori, the soil is rich (to be verified by soil analysis). Most of the land is savannah, most of which has already been worked (6 years ago), and another part is wild savannah. In addition, there is a quarry area and a tropical forest area, neither of which is suitable for agricultural use.

Louis' conclusions: this property can be used for mechanized rainy-season farming