2024-07-12 08:13:48
In the Central African Republic, agricultural activities help to address unemployment in peri-urban areas. In the Wodanbara district in Bangui’s fourth district, residents are excellent market gardeners. These methods are still very manual, but they provide fresh vegetables to the markets in the capital and surrounding villages.
The Voudambala district is located at the foot of the Bas Oubangui Mountains, with rivers running through it and soils that are conducive to market gardening activities.
From dawn to sunset, 42-year-old Armand Omingui waters, cleans and monitors the growth of crops. This great website belongs to me, this is where I work, He shows. I grow all vegetables and many kinds of fruit. I grow the produce from my garden in beds that are 15 meters long and 1 meter wide. »
He has been doing this activity for 25 years. But Armand and his team have always worked in a very manual way. ” In the absence of advanced equipment, we use shovels, hoes, rakes, watering cans, buckets and machetes. As fertilizers, we use plant debris, animal manure, domestic garbage, which are very rich organic fertilizers. », the producer explains.
Many challenges remain
Despite the fertile soil, market gardeners in Wodanbara face huge difficulties every year. Marcel Tari is the owner of a market garden by the river. The dry season lasts for six months, the rivers and wells are dry, and work is difficult. He complained. There are also bushfires that damage the soil and environment. In addition, we have no rolling means to transport our products to market. »
Every day, traders come to the production areas and transport the products to the market using bush taxis or motorcycle taxis. But consumer Rodrigo points out that this process is not ideal for the quality of the fruits and vegetables. I have been consuming market garden produce for decades. They are always fresh and nutritious, He is very happy. But lately, people are suffering from excessively high prices. I also noticed that some vegetables are picked before they are ripe, and some vegetables sometimes rot or are overripe. »
Source of income
Despite these difficulties, many people like Yvette still make ends meet through market gardening. “ We sell vegetables by the board. There are boards of 6000, 7000, 15 I earn between 300 and 350,000 CFA francs per harvest. Thanks to this activity, I meet the needs of my family. », Yvette explains.
According to the head of the Voudambala district, more than 500 people in this area of 2,000 residents are engaged in market gardening. However, as the city expands, the market gardening area is becoming smaller and smaller.
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