Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture

Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture No. 3/07


The use of compost for the cultivation of foodstuff crops and vegetables in the villages surrounding Yaoundé (Cameroon): descriptive and production function approaches of analysis

Achille Jean Jaza Folefack
Ministry of Agriculture, Yaoundé, Cameroon


Abstract

This paper analyzes the main differences existing between compost users and non-compost users for the cultivation of foodstuff crops and vegetables in the villages surrounding Yaoundé (Cameroon). Descriptive field results show that compost users get more benefits than non-compost users. For instance, because compost already contains organic matter like animal manure, compost users need less animal manure as compared to non-compost users. Furthermore, the use of compost leads to lower the crop’s irrigation requirements and to increase the crop yields from 4 to 42% depending on crop type. However, compost farms are more labour demanding and the compost rates applied in the field are too high from standard requirements. The Cobb-Douglas production elasticities show that the most productive input is compost in the compost users group and mineral fertilizer in the non-compost users group. Thus, the use of compost is agronomically advantageous for farmers living in the villages surrounding Yaoundé.

Keywords: compost, mineral fertilizer, compost users, non-compost users, Cobb-Douglas function, production elasticities

JEL: C01, N57, Q16, Q18, Q53, Q58, R15

Vol. 46 (2007), No. 3: 221-239