FIRST MEETING OF THE IFAD ROOTS AND TUBERS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES/PROJECTS Douala, Cameroon 14-16 November 2007

1. FIRST MEETING OF THE IFAD ROOTS AND TUBERS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES/PROJECTS Douala, Cameroon14-16 November 2007 Contribution of the PNDRT - CAMEROON E. TOLLY LOLO Officer in Charge of the Marketing and Microenterprise Management Support Component MARKET INFORMATION SYSTEM

2. OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION • Introduction • Preliminary studies and problems encountered • Current situation of the MIS • Activities carried out by the Agricultural Production Development Bureau (BDPA) with regard to the MIS • Activities carried out by the PNDRT with regard to the MIS • Conclusion

3. INTRODUCTION • The mandates for the MIS and National Observatory have been amalgamated with the aim of increasing the impact on actors in the R&T chain; • The Agricultural Production Development Bureau (BDPA, France) entrusted in June 2006 with a study on the establishment of the National R&T Observatory (which includes the MIS); • The study was carried out in two phases: - 1st: Analysis of the current situation of the marketing system and definition (specifications and terms of reference) of the National Observatory; - 2nd: Design and establishment of the MIS, including implementation of the institutional/organizational structure of the observatory.

4. PRELIMINARY STUDIES AND PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED • The study has still not been completed because of: • Delays during negotiations between the PNDRT and the BDPA; • Changes in the BDPA team identified at the start of this activity in order to adapt to the situation on the ground; • Much discussion on the validation stage of the 1st phase of the study; • Failure so far to select the most suitable computer software for managing the MIS.

5. ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE BDPA WITH REGARD TO THE MIS • Definition (or specifications) of the observatory project: • Objectives and functions of the observatory, • Design and implementation principles, • The various protagonists and the types of information sought, • Terms of reference, • Organization and operation, • Type of information sought, • Products and services of the observatory, • Information dissemination supports and channels, • Development plan and budget.

6. ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE BDPA WITH REGARD TO THE MIS (continued) • During execution of the 2nd phase of its mandate, the BDPA contacted the IFDC for expertise (shown in its management of a similar project in West Africa – the Mistowa Project). • This phase entailed: a) Meeting all the partners within and outside the MIS with potential for guaranteeing its sustainability, b) Developing specific tools, adapting the MIS management platform to the economic and social situation in the Central Africa subregion, then carrying out tests in the actual situation, c) Training PNDRT staff and the person in charge of animating the working of the MIS in handling the installed software and the MIS dialogue platform, d) Organizing a wrap-up workshop for the main actors in the R&T chain who could affect the future working of the MIS. • It has not yet been possible to carry out activities c) and d), which are dependent on the choice of management software for the MIS.

7. CURRENT SITUATION OF THE MIS • The Tradenet.biz software identified by the PNDRT as the information management platform for the MIS; • The PNDRT MIS was thus designed on the same model but adapted to the economic and social context of Cameroon; • The Tradenet.biz software has some limitations according to certain observers with MIS expertise; it would therefore be wise to compare it with other public or private MIS management software being used in Africa; • It is therefore necessary either (i) to adopt this software, introducing all the necessary improvements, or (ii) to select other software.

8. CURRENT SITUATION OF THE MIS (continued) • The MIS has thus been given a new focus: • Collecting and processing market information only in a pilot unit (Douala); • Disseminating information through rural radios; • Mobilizing provisional market committees and market advisers as agents for transmitting information. • However, this approach has various limitations: • The broadcasting range of rural radios is limited (about 100 km); • The procedure for collecting and transmitting market information (using collection forms) to rural radios is expensive; • It takes a relatively long time to access information.

9. ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE PNDRTWITH REGARD TO THE MIS • Analytical study of the chain, the actors involved and the R&T marketing system in Cameroon; • Study of 60 R&T markets in Cameroon, 25 of which selected as priorities for animating the MIS during the first phase (1st year of effective operations); • Organization of discussion frameworks among the actors in the 25 priority markets and establishment of a provisional committee in each of these markets; • Identification of a marketing adviser for each priority market.

10. ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE PNDRTWITH REGARD TO THE MIS Organization of a meeting between buyers and sellers of cassava starch • 15 user enterprises and 45 farmers’ organizations and small starch producing enterprises present; • Purchase contracts made for about 50 tonnes of cassava starch per month; • A discussion platform for actors in the cassava starch chain (or an embryonic interprofessional organization) created; • 3 provisional commissions of actors in the cassava chain created for problems connected with (i) cassava production, (ii) cassava processing and (iii) starch marketing. The main difficulty has been persuading companies using cassava starch to attend this meeting and take an effective part in the discussions.

11. ACTIVITIES YET TO BE CARRIED OUT BY THE PNDRT WITH REGARD TO THE MIS • It has not been possible to carry out several identified activities: • Boosting of the technical capacities (manufacturing process and equipment) of small starch-producing enterprises; • Boosting of the capacities (standards and good practices) of small local starch-producing enterprises; • Grouping together of small local operators to meet the needs – in both volume and quality – of local cassava starch-consuming enterprises;

12. ACTIVITIES YET TO BE CARRIED OUT BY THE PNDRT WITH REGARD TO THE MIS 4. Boosting of the circulation of information (technical and commercial) within and among the various groups of actors - (i) small producing enterprises and (ii) user enterprises; 5. Consolidation of the interprofessional organization of actors in the cassava starch chain in order to undertake lobbying activities and defend common interests to government authorities; 6. Launching of a draft law (to be submitted to the National Assembly) for the use of about 5 to 10% cassava flour in bread-making.

13. CONCLUSION • The PNDRT’s MIS is not yet operating effectively; • A trial of redeploying the MIS to only one unit is under way; • Rural radios have been selected to broadcast market information; • It is difficult so far to assess the impact of the MIS on the actors in the chain.

14. Thank you