ABSTRACT

This study sets out to examine the barriers to the use of Organic inputs such as pig dung, cow dung, poultry waste, compost, amongst others.

However, a multi-disciplinary approach was used to focus on barriers to the adoption of organic farming by marketing gardeners in Molyko-Buea among.

The findings of this study shows that, with about 60 questionnaires, some few farmers have actually adopted Organic farming as opposed to many who don’t practice organic farming because of some berries like financial constraint being the highest challenge, acquisition barrier being the second constraint, inadequate knowledge as well as information availability amongst others.

Their ability to carry out organic farming was explained using the theory of planned behavior. Both primary and secondary data were collected.

Qualitative data was analyzed to quantitative data using the chip-square statistics and there was an interrelationship between the dependent variable and independent variable.

The level of knowledge and awareness stands as the dependent variable while famer’s attitude of famers, the barriers to the adoption and use of organic inputs stands as the independent variable.

Most of the results came out positive and few negative.

Apart from the interrelationship variables. Normal statistics was also done and Qualitative data was analysed to quantitative data presented in a frequency distribution tables as well as charts for illustration, cartographic Maps to locate the study area (Molyko-Buea).

CHAPTER ONE

BACKGROUND OF STUDY

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Organic farming is an agricultural system that involves the use of fertilizers of organic origin such as compost manure, green manure, and bone meal with regards to farming techniques such as crop rotation and Biological pest control, mixed cropping and the fostering of insect predators.

It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effect.

This farming system originated early in the 20th century in reaction to rapidly changing farming practices designed to the use of naturally occurring substances while prohibiting or strictly synthetic substances.

Naturally occurring pesticides such as pyrethrum and rotenone are permitted, while synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are generally prohibited. This farming system constitutes pure organic farming and integrated organic farming.

Organic farming is a holistic system designed to optimize the productivity and fitness of diverse communities within the agro-ecosystem, including soil organisms, plants, livestock and people.

The principal goal of organic production is to develop a sustainable and harmonious relationship with the environment.

The general principles of organic production, from the Canadian Organic Standards (2006), include environment protection by minimizing soil degradation and erosion, maintaining biological diversity within the ecosystem system, food security and health. (H.Martin,2009)

Formal organic crop production program lead/OMAFRA).“Organic farming is an integrated system of farming based on ecological principles.” (Wallace,2001). Farmers who farm organically use natural systems to control pests and disease in crops and livestock, and avoid synthetic pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics or genetic modification.

Organic farmers use a range of techniques that help sustain ecosystems and reduce pollution (European Commission, 2002). According to the Canadian Standard for Organic Agriculture, at least three years must elapse from the application for organic farming to the time at which the products can be considered as “certified organic.

The essential features of organic farming are the removal of chemical inputs from production; Farmers have pioneered the use of nitrogen-fixing plants in place of mineral fertilizers.

However, this does not in itself constitute organic farming, which completely eliminates chemical use and is bound by strict production constraints and management guidelines (the Bio Gro Standard for Organic Food Production).

By excluding chemical inputs and augmenting them with biological processes and management, the role of information and knowledge. However, the barriers to the adoption of organic farm inputs can be categorized as follows.

Environmental barrier that calls for environmental concern and health issues associated with conventional farming, Institutional barriers, technical and Managerial Issues requiring greater labour requirements, Social barriers.

Social considerations impose another possible barrier to the adoption of organic agriculture, Sociological aspects of organic conversion and production, such as adoption behavior organic farmers’ motivations (BioGro Organic Standard,2009).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

To being with, gardeners faced problems concerning the high prices of agricultural pesticides and fungicides to maintain the plant condition.

This is an important issue in Buea because the hot humid climate causes substantial pre-harvest and post-harvest losses due to birds, rodents, fungi and a host of microbes.

Popular opinion in Buea is that tomatoes, leeks, cabbages and carrots are especially vulnerable in this respect.

This constituted the greatest barrier to the cultivation of crops with a high market value, and at the same time contributed to restricting the size of the garden farmers cultivate.

The difficulties to get money from friends, relatives and microcredit organizations to cover gardening costs.

Furthermore, town of Buea is very hilly, which generally makes agriculture challenging.

Farmlands are usually eroded making plant roots unstable and sometimes rooted off depending on the intensity of the erosion even though Upper Farms, Middle Farms and Lower Farms happen to be located on relatively level terrain but are mostly owned by government which is now rented out to gardeners.

Sometimes, the fertile topsoil is washed away and deposited in small springs leaving the soil infertile and also destroying water quality.

The hilly nature of the land will make beds of the farms to cut off and role down the farm usually making the soil shallow and impaired plant growth.

In addition, marketing gardening involves the cultivation of mostly perishable crops that do not last long such as vegetables and fruits.

They have very high moisture content and easily get rotten. Fruits and vegetables if not kept very well after harvesting at mature stage will get spoiled.

They are not kept very long once harvested and they need to give proper care in order to maintain its quality and good appearance until it will reach to the consumer and this seems to be a big challenge in Buea since farmers don’t have such means of preservation

More so, there’s the lack of equipment to assist cultivation appeared to be a typical gardeners problem.

The background to this is the recent high taxes in Cameroon particularly the Value Added Tax (VAT) on the prices of basic commodities like hoe, cutlasses This tax reform was one of the measures endorsed by the government in order to be eligible for the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative.

The increment of farm implements such as cutlasses and hoes poses a problem to marketing gardeners.

Again, the lack of education and training is a crucial limitation to the success of gardening in Buea.

The fact that most farmers do not actually know which pesticides needed to be applied on which crop, in what quantities and how frequently.

The entire application activity seemed to be based on a trial-and-error basis.

The inability of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government to organized workshops to educate urban farmers in Buea in the use of organic inputs and gardening strategies.

Presence of theft appeared to be more of a problem for gardeners and this could be related to high-value crops that attract thieves.

More often, this may be due to the fact that quite a number of the farmers have a relatively unprotected garden, for example somewhere near a major road, possible explanation could be the deteriorating economic situation of the ordinary Cameroonian over the years, resulting in high levels of unemployment and poverty.

The continuous increase in food prices, especially in Buea, has only exacerbated the desperation of those lacking access to food and such they are bound to steal from farmer’s garden to survive.

Lastly, high rates of urbanization, migration are not only driving up food prices but also forcing people to compete for land.

land tenure system where own vast land and no willing to farm on it or hive it out to be farmed, have limited land for farmers who wish to cultivate vast land.

The high rate of infrastructural development in Buea for educational, political, economic as well as residential purposes has made agricultural land almost impossible.

With an economy that does not seem to be improving, more people are willing to farm but few farmland is available and this has gone a long way to prohibit expansion (Ngome and Foeken, 2010).

1.3 Research questions

What is the level of awareness and the knowledge about organic farm inputs amongst farmers?

What are the different organic farm inputs used by farmers?

1.4 Research objectives

1.4.1 Main Research Objectives

The main objective of this research is to,  Analyse the Baries to the use of  organic inputs by marketing gardeners in Molyko-Buea about the use of organic farm inputs amongst farmers meanwhile, the specific objectives are:

1.4.2 Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of this research is,

• To access the level of awareness and knowledge about the use of organic farm inputs among farmers.
• To examine the different organic farm inputs used by farmers.
• To know the perception/attitudes of farmers about the use of organic farm inputs.
• To investigate, identify the barriers to the use and adoption of organic farm inputs.