Determinants in the Choice of Perennial Crops in Diversified Production Systems of Rubber Growers in South-Western Cameroon

Abstract

An important part of the strategy of farmers in Cameroon’s South-west region for diversifying their production is to invest in the cultivation of rubber. The development of coffee and cocoa plantations in this region dates from the early 20th century. More recently, in the late 1970s and especially the 1980s, alternative crops like rubber and improved oil palm were introduced (Hirsch 2000). In fact, oil palms grown from unselected planting material were present in the region for a long time, but since they were grown for producing oil and palm wine for local consumption, they were not considered a cash crop. Farms in the region have followed different evolutionary trajectories. However, regardless of the first perennial crop planted, the majority of the rubber farms in the area are characterized by diversified cropping systems (Michels 2001).