Binet, J.

Horizon / Pleins textes

LOCAL CAPITAL IN CAMEROONS 
RURAL ECONOMY 
Income above 300.000 fr C.F.A. from . 
100 t o  300.000 )) )) . . . . . . .  
50 t o  100.000 )) )) . . . . . . .  
15 t o  50.000 1) )) . . . . . . .  
5 t o  15.000 )) )) . . . . . . .  
O t o  5.000 )) )) . . . . . . .  
bY 
Jacques BINET 
Administrateur en chef de la France d’outre-Mer 
Distribution of income Distribution of saving 
in percentage class in perccntage 
1% 1,6 % 
1 2  Yo 18 % 
1 7  Yo 24 Yo 
44 % 44 % 
23,5 % 1575 % 
6 4  % 3,3 % 
, .  
SUMMARY 
CAPITAL 
Africans are ill informed of public or pri.vate finances (taxes, 
budget, issue of currency, banking and loans). Explanations should 
be given to them on these subjects. 
A. - SAVINGS 
Size of savings : In the Cocoa Belt, in 1954, 10 % of the family’s 
0,ccunence of savings : 38 % of the families save some cash 
income, i.e. 4.800 francs, is put aside. 
money, specially amongst the medium income class. 
Savings method employed : 
- Hoarding as mentioned above. 
- Savings Bank is not very popular. The amount of withdrawals 
shows that deposits are considered as current accounts, e. g. in 
Sangmelina in 1953, withdrawals on 2.5 million francs deposits 
amounted to 65 %. 
- Formal Q Anyen )> deposit agreement in the hands of one of 
the elders. 
- Tontine societies dividing monthly shares. 
- 151 - 
- Savings _. societies. Sometimes these' agree to loans from 'th& 
- Loans, free of interest, with personal guarantee (are loosing 
- Loans, with-interest, when securities are lacking. 
- The various loans represent from 1,5 to 6 % of the incomes. 
deposits. 
ground because of lack of adequate penalties) and security. 
CONCLUSION 
Improvements liable to  be achieved. 
1 Savings solely result from high prices. In the African's opinion 
saving of small sums is not worth while. 
2" Local psychology does not accept readily to make a deposit at 
an anonymous desk. It needs a certain ritual, an incentive and 
propaganda campaigns. 
Societies >> should make it a point to penalise defaul- 
ting cashiers or debtors. 
3" Tontine 
Public Capital. 
Incidence of taxes : 
In the South = 8,5 % of Income 
In the North = 6,5 % of Income 
(variations occur according to income). 
B. - IMPLEMENTS AND STOCK 
Implements.  
In the northern part of the territory in 1954 for 50 families with 
In 1956, the annual expense for  such items is bigger than the value 
of all toils existing in 1954. 
I 252 people : 167 Dabas, 68 axes, 4 < machetes >, 18 small scythes. 
There is a trend towards animal drawn implements. 
In the southern part of the territory : machetes, dabas fruit 
pickers, shovels and picks are rare. Cocoa drying kilns are home 
made. Vermorel sprayers are selling rapidly. 
Value of all these implements is pratically negligible. 
Durable goods are being bought :. in 1954, 28 sewing machines 
on 486 budgets, pressure lamps and bicycles represent 7,7 of income. 
Home ware (pans, glasses, etc.), are of smaller importance 1,9 % 
of income. 
Dwelling premises account for expenses on 90 budgets out of 486 
(19 %) and refer to sheet iron, woodwork = 7,5 76 of income. 
' 
Prospective and existing improvements. \ -  
The African is liable to adopt new implements. The fruit picker 
is a product of homecraft. Sprayers and ploughs have been accepted. 
New implements could perhaps be designed ? The << machete B, 
with a long handle, since adapted by the Boulou may be taken as 
an example. Kitchen range and ware (oven, peanut masher, etc...), 
- 152 - 
should be designed. Goods are either transported by men or by 
trucks. Home made wheelbarrows are seldom seen. 
Sto&. 
If considered in terms of capital, stock is important in  the nor- 
Bought : 7,2 % of expenses. 
Sold : Bovines 5 %, smaller animals 4,4 % (in other words 
In the southern part of the territory annual budgets bear no 
Small rural stock breeding i s  not marketed. 
Prospective and existing improuements : 
- cattle droppings are not used as fertilizer (few exceptions in 
- bovine’s sales have increased. However bush areas can only 
Could sman stock trade be developped ? 
thern part of the territory. 
720 francs C.F.A. and 660 francs per budget). 
mention Öf stock. 
the north) ; 
be supplied by means of herds. Refrigerator vans are suggested ? 
. 
II. - LAND 
A. - SMALL SIZE OF CULTIVATED AREAS 
per family per labour hand per capita 
- - - 
North food crops . . 282 ares 86 ares 40,5 ares 
cash crops . . 109 ares 40,5 ares 19 ares 
341 ares 126 ares 59,5 ares 
South food crops : 48 ares per farm 
: the average cocoa farm numbers 1.700 plants. 
Does the size of cultivated areas depend from the dearth of tillable 
It may be the case with the Ewondo (Yaounde, Saa ... ) where the 
It is hardly probable with the Boulou (7,5 per sq. kilometer). 
.- 
cocoa 
land ? 
population density is one of 18 to 75 per sq. kilometer. 
B. - INADEQUATE CULTURAL METHODS 
a) Incomplete felling - Fires - Rotation : Pumpkins, P.eanuts 
- sugar cane yam and maize - cassava and bananas. Fallowing 
period more or less long. 
b) Tending of perennial crops : 
- Replanting is carried out ; 
- tip to the present time but few old plantations are rehabilited, 
but newly planted cocoa areas are to be seen ; 
- existing semi-nomadism of village communities renders ten- 
ding of distant plantations difficult. Building of durable dwellings 
, 
~ 
- 153 - 
will settle these communities and call for a redistribution of hol- 
dings. 
C. - LAND TENURE 
a) Areas without ownership : In regions recently conquered or 
where recent migrations have occured, e.g. with the Foulbes 
unoccupied land belongs to  the chief. 
According to another interpretation the chief owns the land 
because he embodies the community and the farmer has the right 
to collect the fruit. 
With the old Fangs - no ownership. 
In regions where populations have settled down, the same solu- 
tions have been adopted, even in such areas where agricultural 
methods have progressed. 
Areas with ownership : 
1 In Bamileke country, Chief, Father and individuals have custo- 
mary rights, land is demarcated. 
In Kirdis country survey shows differents rights on land in hills 
and valleys. 
2”  In the coffee and cocoa growing areas the trend to ownership 
is gaining ground. Rights pile up ceiling high = one may see forests 
where hunting and collection of crops are the privilege of one family. 
After fallow brushwood where the right of clearing falls to  early 
land reclaimants, the planter’s rights are subordinate to his rights 
on the trees and not of his rights in terms of soil. 
The wife is granted rights (inconsistent with customary law). 
She plants crops for  her own benefit or that of her sons. Moreover 
she also has a right on her husband’s crops. 
However, the right to dispose of is rather vague. The idea of 
collective ownership is opposed to the latter right, as selling would 
encroach the family’s interests. But immigrating foreigners inay 
acquire rights. 
Prospective and existing improuements : 
Rights have been established. Description of their limits and 
definition of beneficiary parties would avoid arguments. As regards 
the pre’ceding, it would pay to inform public opinion and above all 
clerical staff in authoritative post and public writers. The difference 
between renting, selling and giving away should be explained to  
them. 
Granting of loans on land or harvest would be refused whenever 
the owner as such, or, his rights are doubtful. 
Talte such measures that would facilitate the exchange of rights. 
Sales including the redeeming of every right is wished for  by all 
immigrating Bamileltes. This would enable the rapid reclamation 
of new areas of land. 
Another question is that of protection of local population and to 
create the possibility of expanding. Renting, even, within the family 
is recommendable. The young should also be provided ; but is it 
done as yet ? Do the old people give them any land ? 
- 154 - 
WORK 
A. - DISTRIBUTION OF TASK ACCORDING TO SEX 
Men : I Pelling - Fire - Hunting - Homecraft (wiclrerware, 
wood, housing) - Cash crops. 
Women : Land labour - Homecraft (pottery) - Tedious and 
tiring home work (fire-wood, water, a.s.0.). 
In the northern part of the territory : 
food ciops daring . . . . .  52 days I cash crops - .. . . .  49 days women grow 
. . . . . 39,5 ,days 
. . .  . .  39,5 days 
In the southern part women cooperate to the cocoa harvest. 
B. - LIGHT TASKS 
In the northern part, men work 101 days in the fields women 79. 
The other tasks are various : but maintenance, implements, 
raking of tools. Alike all farmers many transports : harvest from 
the field to the hut and from the hut to selling point. Lack of faci- 
lities in the huts, where home work is tedious. Lack or organisation 
leading to a multiplication of trips. Work is carried out as if provi- 
sional ; hence the necessity of often starting it anew (fencing, huts). 
Constant to and through : 1.116 journeys for 486 budgets and for 
various reasons : work 3 % : recreation 15 % ; family 10 % ; mar- 
riages 5 % ; medical care 8 % ; administrative, justice, registrar 
25 % ; business 20,5 % ; religious services 12 % a s o .  
Diseases : morbidity may have an influence on activity. It remains 
to  be seen wether nutrition is adequate. 
Labour methods applied 
- formerly : slavery ; 
- compulsory labour service ,for the chiefs of families has been 
done away with in the South, but still occurs in the North. Shall 
the young people work for their own ; 
- team work for buiIding and reclamation purposes is organised 
as a civic duty. This system is working for  mutual aid purposes. 
Sometimes the teams formed are hired on fee ; 
- wage earning basis presently applied by Europeans is also 
applied by some Africans. Also rent in kind. Sharing of crops ; 
- Land distributed to immigrants against participation to fami- 
lial tasks. Concubines are, sometimes, granted ; 
- Labour by members of the family. But fathers have lost their 
authority on young people ; 
- Craftsmen are paid like jobbers, sometimes food and lodging 
is also granted. As a rule the labourer is thus tied to his boss (it has 
advantages together with drawbacks). 
- 155 - 
Prospective and existing improvements : 
- A better distribution of labour should be considered. Men are 
no longer out at war and do little hunting. Hence some of their 
time is available. 
- Some of the time lost could be recuperated ; routine tasks 
and cooking could be simplified. Corrugated iron roof would spare 
biennial overhaul. A mincing machine and an oven would facili- 
tate the task. Decentralisation of trade would avoid may useless 
trips. 
- Diets is being transformed. 
Modern equipenient is becoming very popular (myth of industria- 
lization). Some inalters are in the belief that a labourer works 
quick and well when following the rythm of a machine and that 
the lack of this incentive lowers his productivity. 
- Wage earners are not very popular. Work on private holdings, 
rent in kind, and various forms of bondage are more readily accep- 
ted. 
- Provided collective enthusiasm exists in team work, it seems 
possible to create an incentive for achievements within short delay. 
In long term work enthusiasm soon drops. 
II (e SYMPOSIUM INTERNATIONAL D’kONOMIE RURALE TROPICALE 
P A R I S  1 9 5 6  
LES CAPITAUX AUTOCHTONES 
ET LEUR MOBILISATION 
DANS L’ÉCONOMIE R 
MOBILISATION DES CAPITAUX 
DANS L’ÉCONOMIE ‘RURALE DU @ CAMEROUN 
Par 
M. Jacques BINET 
Administrateur en chef de la France  d‘outre-mer 
I 
MINISTÈRE DE LA FRANCE D’OUTRE-MER 
DIRECTION DE L‘AGRICULTURE, DE L’ÉLEVAGE ET DES FORETS 
OFFICE DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE ET TECHNIQUE OUTRE-MER 
1957 I 


Local capital in Cameroons rural economy

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