Viral agricultural practices within Tubah Council Area

The Government field extension workers and many NGOs are involved in the improvement of agriculture in Tubah Council area. Thus, new farming methods are introduced, new seeds and breeds are introduced, and even mushroom cultivation is promoted. Some farmers are already implementing some of the ideas resulting in the use of fertilizers and pesticides to some extent in certain areas.

Main Crops

The main crops that are produced include maize, beans, vegetables, cassava, cocoyam. Bananas and plantains grow dotted in the farms or around the compounds. Coffee which was formally a main cash crop in these areas has drastically diminished in production due to the drop-in prices, as many coffee farmers have transformed their coffee farms to the production of food crops. A few farmers mainly in Kedjom Ketinguh are involved in the cultivation of rice as a source of income.

Agricultural tools

Agriculture is practiced with the use of rudimentary farm tools such as hoes and cutlasses. Other inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides are not affordable. This subsistence farming method results in poor yield. Farming is usually done in small scale as there are no modern tools/equipment to farm in large scale. Besides; farming is mainly done by family members not paid labour.

Cash Crop Production

The main cash crop used to be coffee which was mainly cultivated by men. With the serious fluctuation in market prices of coffee, and the present permanent drop in prices, production has dropped as most men have cut down their coffee plants and are now indulging in food crop production like potatoes and in the year 2021, a Bambili native won in the category of best potatoes in the Agric show organized at the regional level.

Other crops include; beans, maize, and Huckleberry in marketable quantities. Records of the main cooperative society for Tubah, located in Kedjom Keku, Kedjom Ketinguh show they are not functioning properly. Most farmers are now opting for vegetable gardening, which they say, is more profitable.

Another cash crop is rice, which is normally grown in the lowlands of Kedjom Ketinguh as part of the UNVDA program. According to the chief of post for Agriculture, about 25 hectars of land is now under rice cultivation, producing about 500 tons of rice each year. The yield stands at between 15 and 20 tons per hectar. Below is a picture view of rice farms in Kedjom Ketinguh.