Entrepreneuriat et gestion des organisations

Prospects and Challenges Faced by Cocoa Producers in Their Supply Chain Activities in the Mbam Division, Cameroon

Abstract

Mfondo M, Emmanuel NGA and Vanel-Valence NGN

This research aimed to investigate the prospects and challenges faced by cocoa producers on their supply chain activities in Cameroon, specifically in the Mbam division in the centre region of Cameroon. More particularly the study intended to identify the supply chain activities effectively practiced by cocoa farmers in the Mbam, to examine the challenges they face in their supply activities and to propose some opportunities to reverse these supply chain challenges. A sample of 167 Cameroonian cocoa farmers from the Mbam was randomly selected to take part to this research. The resultant data were subsequently analysed using descriptive statistics, as well as the Likert scale analysis. The results of this research found out that, the few supply chain management activities practiced by cocoa producers of the Mbam were warehousing, transportation, packaging, and inventory which again were found to be poorly practiced and managed. The results also indicated that, the challenges faced by cocoa producers in their supply chain activities were real and were challenging to the producers and their production. Some of the main findings of this research concerning these challenges included; lack of a bridge to connect certain communities, inadequate warehousing, poor infrastructures like the absence of roads, poor storage, lack of knowledge on inventory management and others. The research ended investigating some opportunities that could have been adopted to minimise these supply chain activities challenges and thus improve the working conditions and logistics of the cocoa producers of the Mbam. Thus the research made some recommendations to the government, to the Mbam cocoa producers as well as to the other stakeholders intervening in that field.