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Findings reports on ongoing operational, economic and sector work carried out by the World Bank and its member
   governments in the Africa Region. It is published periodically by the Knowledge Networks, Information and
                                  Technology Center on behalf of the Region.




            Cameroon : Extension Partnerships with the Private Sector


The Cameroon Projet National de Vulgarisation Agricole (National Agricultural Extension
Project) is a good practice example of partnership between the government extension service and
private agro-input supply companies. The key to success is the ability to leverage the
comparative advantage of each party without compromising the efficiency, objectivity or the
principles of the extension services. The private suppliers provide new technology while the
national extension service shares its experience in testing new technologies with farmers through
small-scale demonstration plots.

Impact on the ground

Pelenguet

Sales of Pelenguet’s hybrid maize seed imported from South Africa (Pannar) increased from 30
to 70 tonnes and demand among farmers who had tested the variety during the preceding season
far outstripped even these increased supplies. Seven thousand demonstration plots in farmers’
fields were established in 1997 which will almost certainly lead to substantial increases in sales
in 1998.

PamolSales of oilpalm seedlings by Pamol increased to 380,000 seedlings during the first eight
months of 1997, compared to 140,000 over the same period for the preceding year. On the
strength of this increase, the company has invested in a new seedling incubator and envisages
increasing sales to a total of 8 million seedlings over the next five years, equivalent to more than
50,000 hectares of new oil palm plantations.

Lessons learned
• The privatization and unbundling of state monopolies create opportunities for government
agricultural agencies to team with private sector partners in the agro-input and supply sub-sector.

• Mutual interest in developing increased purchasing power in the rural areas contributes to
breaking down distrust and suspicion between private and public partners.

• Private sector partners can profitably collaborate in the provision of extension services,
improve coverage, and test appropriate technologies with farmers.

• Technology transfer using micro-demonstration plots provides excellent opportunities for
private sector partners to develop their products and match their supplies with real demand from
farmers for agricultural inputs.

• The extension service’s opportunity to recover some of its costs from the private sector
partners could be an important step towards sustainability.

In the pipeline

Rhone-Poulenc

Rhone Poulenc plans to launch a pilot initiative in the South West province to train subject
matter specialists in the use of a number of its products (herbicides and fungicides for
horticultural crops) which will be introduced to farmers. Rhone Poulenc staff will participate in
farm-level diagnoses to better appreciate farmers’ problems and will supervise demonstration
plots with extension staff.

Hydrochem

Details of an agreement with Hydrochem have been finalized. The company plans to develop a
fertilizer blending plant. A pilot initiative will be launched in the Northern Province where
Hydrochem is already supplying fertilizers to Sodecoton. Hydrochem will take over and sell non-
cotton agricultural products from about 100 of Sodecon’s retail outlets. The objective is for
farmers to diversify into non-cotton crops.

Over the next twelve months, the unit of the extension and research service responsible for
Linkages with Private Partners and Support to Farmers’ Associations will monitor
implementation of ongoing agreements with private partners and aims to negotiate a further five
agreements.

For further information, please contact Christopher Trapman, Rm. J6-099, World Bank, 1818 H
Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20433. Tel. no. : (202) 473426 , e-mail address:
Ctrapman@worldbank.org