Dear members of PROFALCAM, ladies
and gentlemen, `I wish to send to you this message at the moment when we are closing the last pages of the year 2023, a year that constitutes without any doubt a memorable and remarkable phase of the
life of this important innovation enterprise PROFALCAM.
Dear members, ladies and
gentlemen, on the 24th August 2022, a long 5 years dream came to life with the
creation of the Platform of the Promoters of Local Flour in Cameroon (PROFALCAM).
Following 2 days of intensive discussions and work about 100 delegates from the
10 regions of Cameroon put in place an Executive Bureau comprise of 20 elected
members and among whom you elected me unanimously as president.
Born in the heat of the Russo-Ukranian
crisis which witnessed the scarcity of some imported produce among which was
wheat flour that saw huge hikes of prices month by month in the local market,
the government supported the Platform in its drive to accompany the formal in its
policy of Import Substitution.
In this direction, we have with
the concern of the syndicate of bakers and pastry producers agreed to produce
Cameroon local flour from cassava, sweet potatoes, plantain, maize, sorghum/millet
and wheat.
At the beginning of the 2023 cropping
season we engaged in encouraging production through measures to facilitate
access to finance by negotiating loans at low interest rates from financial
institutions. This action unfortunately did not succeed due to the non-respect
of the engagement of the financial partners. We regret truly for this sad
situation considering the enormous efforts many of you made and the many inconveniences
this caused.
Among the several other
difficulties we faced, we should note the following:
·
Insufficient availability of improved seeds and
seedlings to supply the need of the producers,
·
Insufficient financial resources for
coordination, support and follow-up of activities resulting to nonpayment of personnel
salaries, non-holding of many statutory meetings including the General Assembly…etc.
·
Absence of funds to acquire and install
production and processing equipment.
·
Insufficient resources for activities related to
communication and sensitization.
·
Unavailability of revolving fund to finance the
purchase of inputs and raw material for processing.
·
Non disbursement of loans promised by People Finance
SA (PeFi) for the 2023 cropping season.
·
Non disbursement of resources for 2023 promised
by MINEPAT.
·
Non placement of guarantee fund of 1 billion
francs promised by the Cameroon Bank of Small and Medium Size Enterprises(BC-SME)
These extreme adversities have
been a challenging test for our level of resilience in the face of
difficulties. Each obstacle we faced permitted us to learn precious lessons and
today we are more vigilant, alert and prepared to confront the future with
serenity and wisdom. Citing a contemporary author “Failures make us strong”
Notwithstanding these
difficulties, we have made great strides which have not only gone above our
expectations in terms of performance but have equally placed us in a leading
position in the national territory when Cameroonian local flour is concerned.
As a direct consequence, we have
positively attracted the attention of Government and those of numerous technical
and financial partners of Cameroon (TFPs).
Among our achievements, the most
important are:
·
Registration of more than 450 members
representing over 6000 individual promoters distributed in three colleges
(production, processing and commercialization).
·
Many Cameroonians and International Institutions
are henceforth attracted to the sector of local flour in Cameroon.
·
Strategic documents have been elaborated and
validated: Annual Technical Plan and Budget (ATPB), 2023, and a Medium Term
Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2024 to 2026.
·
Holding of two sessions of the Executive Bureau
meetings on the 25 August 2022 and 26 January 2023.
·
O5 operational zones covering the 10 regions
have gone functional.
·
Renting of Head Quarter Office at Monté
Messamendongo, Yaounde and the zonal offices for the East and Adamawa at
Bertoua.
·
Zonal Head Quarter Offices have been provided by
MINADER in Douala for the South-West and the Littoral; in Bamenda for
North-West and West; and in Garoua for Far North and North, regions.
·
All the national and regional offices have been
equipped with computers and stationaries.
·
106 personnel have been recruited, trained and
deployed in the zones to supervise the activities of members.
·
Elections were organized in the North-West
region to elect members of the regional bureau for the North-West region.
·
Organization of official ceremony to install the
regional bureau (Oversight Regional Committee) of the N.W.
·
More than 300 application documents for loan
request were received, treated for the 2023 cropping season and sent to the MFIs
for support.
·
Financial
contracts worth over 250million francs were signed between the members and
Micro Finance institutions (MFIs).
·
Opening of bank accounts in MFIs by members who
requested loans.
·
Production of communication tools (Logo,
internet, website (www.profalcam.com), 5000 flyers etc.
·
9 agreements were signed between quality seed
multipliers and PROFALCAM to supply cassava cuttings on credit to certain
members who are producers.
·
Partnership agreements were developed with 10
locally based equipment fabricators to fabricate and maintain equipment for
production, dewatering, drying of wet cake and packaging.
·
Three agreements were signed with financial
partners(PeFi, Njindom and ELESYST)
·
Active participation in trade fairs, B to B exchanges,
seminars and workshops.
·
Missions for follow up and evaluation and the
geolocalisation of farms were organized.
·
More than 10,000 hectares of farm were prepared
for planting.
·
PROFALCAM accompanied the Value Chain
Development Programme of MINADER (PDCVA) to determine the sizes and equipment
for the construction of plantain flour processing factories at Mvangan, Dimako,
Boumnyebel, Bangem and Nanga Eboko.
·
Reservation of about 100,000 tons of produce of post-harvest
recoveries in production basins.
·
Preparation of sites and actors for the construction
of 17 dewatering factories of a 10 tons capacity per day; 10 drying plants and
20 factories for the production and packing of flour and silos for the
preservation and storage of cereals.
·
The preselection of PROFALCAM to strengthen the
competence of about 900 beneficiaries (
for some 30 sessions of training) within the framework of implementing the
Competitive Mechanism for the Development of Competences (MCDC) of the support project
for the Development of Secondary Education and Competences for Growth and
Employment (PADESCE).
·
Confirmed financial promises by certain partners
including UNICS, la Regional Bank, Njindom Cooperative…..)
·
The defense in front an internal commission for
the maturation of public investment project of MINDER for the Medium Term
Expenditure Framework of 2024-2026.
·
Registration of several projects of members of PROFALCAM
in the lists of projects to be financed by the programme “Inclusive Bond”
piloted by MINCOMMERCE.
Dear esteemed
members, Ladies and gentlemen,
We want to
acknowledge the key role that MINEPAT played in 2023 that enabled us to achieve
many of our objectives. The firm commitment of MINPAT exemplified government’s
determination to develop a strong Public Private Partnership (PPP) particularly
in the domain of Import Substitution Policy.
MINEPAT experts
accompanied PROFALCAM in:
·
The elaboration of its 2023 action plan
·
The elaboration of its Medium Term Expenditure
Framework (CDMT 2024-2026)
·
The process of the selection of the central and
zonal personnel
·
The organization of consultation on local flour
with the private sector as well as with some concerned ministries and the
examination of realistic measures to finance PROFALCAM.
·
A financial engagement to the tune of 800
million frs CFA within the framework of activities projected for 2023.
·
A request to government hierarchy for the
approval of PROFALCAM financial needs in the CDMT 2024-2026.
·
The engagement to position PROFALCAM as the
privileged spokes organization to the state in matters related to promotion of
local flours in Cameroon.
·
To consider PROFALCAM as the sole actor
responsible for processing activities of local flour with the framework of the
Integrated Plan for Import Substitution of Agro Pastoral and Fishery
products(PIISAH). An envelop of 5 billion frs CFA has been earmarked for these
activities.
·
The carrying out of a study financed by the
European Union and implemented through DACC for the structuring of actors in
the Value Chain of Local Flours from cassava, sweet potatoes and plantain in
Cameroon.
These
achievements are thanks to our collective team work, our engagement for
excellence, an unimaginable sense of
sacrifice by the personnel and the unflinching passion for the success of our
platform by us. I want to express my sincere gratitude to every one of
us for the individual contributions which have played the crucial role for our
collective success.
We are in 2024 and I would like to spare
us of promises but believe firmly that this year shall be the year of
implementation of our dream, that of the effective implementation of our
business project. I am also calling on you to join me wish those who have
passed on in 2023 to Rest In Peace in the bosom of our creator.
We wish you and
your families; peace, happiness, and good health.
Happy and
prosperous NEW YEAR 2024 to us all,
Long live
Promoters of Local Flour in Cameroon,
Long live
PROFALCAM
Long live
Cameroon and its illustrious Head of State, HE. PAUL BIYA.
Yaounde
President