Abstract

If Cameroon maintains its position as the “bread basket” of the Central African sub-Region, one of the areas to be credited is the Santa Sub-Division which is one of the major agricultural production basins, particularly market gardening. Apart from grappling with the conventional pre and post-harvest problems which plague the agricultural sector in Cameroon, observed variability in climate has aggravated the scenario. Using climatic records temperature and rainfall) for a 10 year period, including the output of market garden crops (carrots, leeks, tomatoes and cabbage), complemented by field observations and interviews, we established a correlation between climatic variations and variations in output of market garden crops The results showed both direct and inverse relationships between climate variability and market gardening resulting in differential implications for market gardeners. The implications of this results is that in the future, market gardeners could logically shift their focus to some specific crops; this could reduce the output of these crops leaving a bearing on demand and price. As a logical way forward, we suggest some adaptation options which can help farmers to “climate –proof” the market gardening sector which remains a source of livelihood for many farmers in Santa Sub-Division.

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