Creative Writing Contest Vol. 19 | Farming: How has the quality and quantity of the crops grown in your community changed over time?| By @elian23khan

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Thank you @thegreens for organizing such a wonderful contest on farming. I believe this will give some of us the opportunity to reflect on our respective communities.

INTRODUCTION
You know when we talk farming in Cameroon, especially in the area of growing crops, we talk about the grass field. While in the North West Region, when when we talk about farming, especially in the area of vegetable farming, corn, beans, and potatoes, we talk about Santa. I come from Santa Subdivision of Mezam Division. Vegetable and crop farming is most prevalent in this community. From before time to present, my community has been well known for these particular products.

HOW QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF CROPS GROWN IN SANTA HAS CHANGE OVER TIME

Farming has changed a lot in my community for the last 25 years or so. Farms are bigger, yields are higher, less manual labor is needed. You may ask why so? What has caused this sudden change? The answer simply lays in what I can call technological advancement and market availability.

Come to think of how technology has changed the medical field, road transportation, even communication in the past 20 - 25 years. The farming sector has not been left out.

Technological advancement and the availability of markets has greatly aided the production of vegetables, potatoes, corn, beans and carrot in my community. Let us consider some of the ways technology and market availability has influence the quality and quantity of vegetables and crops grown in Santa below:

1. Crop Genetics. This is an old method used to improve crop growth. My father was fond of using plant selection and breeding techniques to improve crop yield for years. Modern methods include marker assisted breeding¹, which helps speed up the time it takes to get the desired improvement. Thus boost quality and quantity of crop production.

2. Pest management. This was a challenge in the past, but with the presence of genetic engineering, technology improve a plant’s insect resistance, drought tolerance, herbicide tolerance, and disease resistance. This technology gave farmers an additional tool to help increase crop yields.

3. Labour and Machines. Formerly, our forefathers and parents used to demand on family members to offer the labour force needed in crop production. But in the past years, with advancement in technology, machines are gradually taking the place of human labour. As you pass through Santa, you will see tractors just everywhere. With this, farmers are increasing farming lands thus increasing production.

4. Farm to market road. Lately, the government has been so concerned with creating farm to market road. In the old, our parents used to demand on parent humans to carry crops on the head to the market. Nowadays, bikes, taxi's, hillucks, etc are accessing farms so easily. If a farmer desires to sale his goods in the farm, he can do just that. This has encourage many people to engage into farming.

5. Irrigation channelling system. In the past years, farming was done during rainy seasons only. Only few farmers will be able to cultivate crops in swampy areas during the dry season. Thus reducing the quantity of veggies production. Most farmers used to watch their crops dry up even in the rainy seasons because of lack of water. And those who would succeed, the quality will very much be reduced as it would be evident the crops ran short of water. But will the coming of the irrigation channelling system, farmers are now able to increase the amount of land use for farming. And there are no longer limited to farm only in the rainy season. This has influence the quality and quantity of vegetables and crops grown in Santa Subdivision so greatly.

CONCLUSION
Although, the above listed factors have helped to improve the quality and quantity of crops grown in Santa, a lot still need to be done in this area. The market situation is still a challenge. Farmers still need to travel to Douala or Yaounde in other to sale. Market should be brought closer. This will booster the prices. Food Processing Companies should be established. Road maintenance should be improved upon.

Thank you @thegreens for this contest

Original post by @elian23khan