BAI PANYA-NEW TOWN BAROMBI ROAD: A FARM-TO-MARKET LIFELINE LEFT IN RUINS

Mbonge Sub-Division — Meme Division, Southwest Cameroon: For communities in Bai Panya and New Town Barombi in Mbonge Sub Division Meme Division, South West Region, farming is more than a livelihood. It is the main source of income and food security for hundreds of households.

Every season, farmers cultivate cassava, plantains, cocoyams, maize and vegetables that supply markets across Meme and beyond. But getting that food to market has become a daily struggle.

The Bai Panya – New Town Barombi road, a key farm-to-market route, is in a state of severe disrepair. Deep potholes, eroded stretches and thick mud have turned the road into a major obstacle, especially during the rainy season.

Transporters say the journey that should take minutes now takes hours, and sometimes days. “Trucks get stuck in the mud and we spend the night on the road,” said one driver who regularly plies the route. “By the time we reach Buea or Kumba, some of the food is already spoiled.”

The delays have a direct cost. Transport fares have gone up, while post-harvest losses continue to rise. Many transporters now avoid the area entirely, leaving farmers with no option but to sell at lower prices or watch their produce go bad.

Farmers say months of labor are being wasted because of poor access to markets. “We work hard to produce food for the nation,” a farmer from Bai Panya said. “But when the road is bad, our harvest cannot reach the people who need it.

Some farmers report selling a bunch of plantains for less than half the normal price just to avoid total loss.

Community leaders argue that the road’s condition does not match the area’s agricultural potential. They say improving the Bai Panya – New Town Barombi road would reduce costs, increase production, raise incomes and boost food security in Meme Division.

Residents are now calling on the Ministry of Public Works, the South West Regional Assembly and local councils to prioritize rehabilitation of the road.

As food production in the area continues to grow, the question remains: How can farmers feed the nation when the road to the market is almost impassable?