By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BOMBE-BAKUNDU, PAV – The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbairobe, has inaugurated the Bombe semi-industrial oil palm processing unit in Bombe Bakundu, Mbonge Sub-Division, marking a major step in Cameroon’s efforts to modernise its agricultural value chains.
The commissioning, carried out on Thursday, December 11, formed part of the 11th Ordinary Steering Committee Meeting of the Agriculture Infrastructure Value Chain Development Project (AIVDP), funded jointly by the Government of Cameroon and the Islamic Development Bank.
Speaking at the event, Minister Mbairobe said the new processing facility would help farmers better control and benefit from the palm oil value chain. “I’m very proud to inaugurate this palm oil processing unit. It is important for farmers because it gives them access to a market and increases their income,” he said.
“For the nation, it helps us save money. Cameroon imports about 200,000 tons of crude oil every year. Projects like this improve our trade balance and reduce those imports.”
The Minister added that the proximity of the facility to farming areas allows producers to transport fresh fruit bunches directly from plantations to processing units, giving farmers a higher extraction rate and greater control over production.
A Project with Regional Impact
His Royal Majesty Paramount Chief Daniel Matta Mokambe, Mayor of the Mbonge Council, described the inauguration as a milestone for one of the Southwest Region’s most productive agricultural communities.
He said Bombe Bakundu’s selection for the project reflects the area’s historic contribution to palm oil production. The AIVDP, which began in 2019, targets major agricultural basins in the Southwest Region with investments in infrastructure, training, and value chain development.
The mayor said the mill would: increase smallholder incomes, improve access to social services, strengthen cooperatives, and support ethical agricultural enterprises. He appealed for more processing units in Big Ngbandi, Big Nganjo, and Ekombe Bonji, citing growing production needs in the municipality.
Councillor Mukete Richard, President of the Meme-Fako Integrated Oil Palm Processing and Marketing Cooperative Society, said the new mill offers a solution to long-standing challenges faced by farmers.
Before, producers bore multiple costs, from harvesting and assembling fruit to transporting, boiling, and often leaving them in debt. “The semi-industrial mill lifts farmers out of poverty,” he said. “With an extraction rate of 19% and cooperative-managed transport, farmers now bring only their produce, know their weight, and receive payment immediately.”
He expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Islamic Development Bank, SOWEDA, and local traditional authorities, particularly Chief Justice Benjamin Mutanga Itoe, who donated the land for the project.
A 100 per cent Cameroonian engineering
AIVDP Coordinator Besong Ogork revealed that the complex, valued at CFAF 747 million, is built entirely with Cameroonian engineering expertise. The two-ton-per-hour processing unit consists of 29 major industrial components, including sterilisers, conveyors, digesters, presses, boilers, oil tanks, and a kernel cracking system.
The project had faced delays due to insecurity and vandalism, but improved conditions allowed completion. Ogork emphasised that the mill will produce palm oil, kernel oil, and kernel cake, contributing directly to national food security and local economic development.
Local leaders requested permanent security around the facility and rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads to maximise impact. With large tracts of fertile land available, communities also appealed for additional government-backed agricultural projects to fight poverty and unemployment.
The Bombe semi-industrial oil palm processing unit is expected to create jobs, stabilise rural incomes, reduce crude palm oil imports, and strengthen Cameroon’s position as a leading producer in the region.
Minister Mbairobe assured communities of the government’s continued support, describing agriculture as “a strategic pillar for national growth and rural transformation.”
