Fluctuation in Coffee Production and Implications for Development in Noni Sub-Division

Coffee cultivation is one of the main economic activities which is carried out by most farmers in some rural areas in Cameroon and it is a major source of livelihood. Over the years, the prices of coffee in the world market have been descouraging. Using primary and secondary sources of data, focus group discussion, this study investigates coffee cultivation in the Noni Sub-Division from the 1990s to 2014. It also looks at the general trends in coffee production in the Noni Sub- Division from 1990 to 2014. The results reveal that the cultivation of coffee in the area has been strongly affected by the low prices of coffee in the world market as well as the liberalization of the coffee sector in Cameroon. The study equally revealed that the socio-economic development of Noni Sub-Division strongly depends on the cultivation of coffee though the development is often affected by the low prices of coffee. The formation of Cooperative Societies in lagging areas, the stabilization of prices by the government and training of farmers will go a long way in improving on the coffee sector in this region and Cameroon as a whole.


Introduction
Coffee is one of the legal international transacted commodities of many countries following petroleum oil. Consumers from all around purchase and enjoys it in their daily activities (Iscaro, 2014). In addition, Davis et al. (2012) identified during their study, that coffee is the second most transacted goods in the world. Predominately, Arabica represents 70% of global coffee production and Robusta represents about 30% (Damatta and Ramalho, 2006;Davis et al., 2012). The production and productive of both species are largely dependent on the climate for the attainment of high yields and quality (Killeen and Harper, 2016). Coffee requires very specific environmental conditions for successful production, depending on the coffee variety grown. But the crop is perennial, tropical crop that can grow under both humid lowlands and tropical humid/sub humid highlands. Even though the average temperatures required for coffee Arabic range between 15 and 24°C, rain fall 2000 mm per annum and altitudes between 1000 and 2000 m above sea level. Robust coffee required average temperature range between 24 and 30°C, rainfall ~2,000 mm and altitudes of about 800 m above sea level (Killeen and Harper, 2016).
Overall, influence of weather variations on coffee producing countries are predicted to be negative (Ovalle-Rivera et al., 2015). Some countries would lose area suitability while others would gain from variation in weather elements (Ovalle-Rivera et al., 2015). Ovalle-Rivera et al. (2015) reveals coffee producing arears such as America, Africa, Asia and Oceania would maintain some suitability for growing Arabica coffee. Ripeness is a factor of great importance to coffee quality and a large part of the defects known as blacks, greens or rancids (BGR). The cherry stage is considered the ideal point for quality (Folmer, 2014). However, selective harvesting of ripe fruit is labor intensive, which increases the production cost and often makes its practice non-viable (Silva et al., 2013). Coffee stands out as a worldwide product of great importance and is cultivated in more than 80 countries, with approximately 143.4 million of 60-kg bags production in 2015. Brazil is the largest producer and exporter and the second largest consumer of coffee in the world, with a production of about 55 million benefited bags in 2016 (ICO, 2017).
Coffee in Cameroon was introduced in 1905 by the colonial masters (German) and it was experimented on the slopes of Mount Cameroon and further extended to other parts of the country where coffee is presently grown (Adrianno,2007). Two main varieties of coffee which are cultivated in Cameroon include: Robusta and Arabica. Robusta coffee thrives in the forest zone where humid and high temperature conditions prevail. Arabica coffee is grown on the mountainous regions situated between 1000metres and 1800meters with low temperatures ranging from 15 0 c to 25 0 C (Adrianno,2007). In the past, the cultivation and marketing of coffee in Cameroon was in the hands of some organizations which worked in close collaboration with the intermediary cooperative societies. In the North West Region, for example the Produce Marketing Organization, was in charge of marketing the produce from farmers. It was also in charge of providing farm inputs at cheaper prices to farmers. By the 1990s this sector was liberalized mainly because of the economic crisis that affected the country and the fall in the prices of coffee in the World Market (Agra-net, 2015). Since then, the marketing of coffee has been in the hands of individuals through their Local Cooperative Societies.
For the past 20years in Cameroon, following the withdrawal of government subsidies in 1990, the liberalization of coffee sector and the devaluation of the CFA Francs forced small farmers to integrate their coffee farms with other food crops leading to a fall in output or fluctuation in the production of coffee (Cameroon Coffee Development Strategy, 2014). This crop is grown alongside cola nuts and food crops. Coffee is economically important as it is the major source of income for most farmers. Coffee constitutes 5% of the agricultural Gross Domestic Product in Cameroon (International Coffee Organization 2015). Considering the fact that coffee is the second cash crop after cocoa in Cameroon, the government of Cameroon has for the past ten years been trying to re-generate this sector (Nchare, 2007). With the liberalization of the coffee sector in Cameroon, most of the coffee farms in this area were cleared in favour of food crop production like maize and beans which are perennial and yielded much income with steady market compared to coffee. With the relaunch of the coffee sector in Cameroon in 2008 and with the coming of the OLAMCAM many farmers have gone back to the planting of coffee. Most vast lands now in Noni Sub Division have been under cultivation especially with the introduction of the Java 2 type of arabica coffee by OLAMCAM. Since the 1990s with the liberalization of the coffee sector in Cameroon, there has been fluctuation in the production of coffee. Based on the above therefore, this paper seeks to examine the general trend of coffee production in Noni Sub-Division from 1990 to 2014; examine the drivers of coffee productions, and the impact of the fluctuation in coffee production on the economic development of Noni Sub Division

Methodology
Data was collected through field observations, interviews and administration of questionnaires. Field observations enable us to identify the species of coffee, farming techniques and processing activities at local level. Interviews were conducted with some officials of the Noni Area Cooperative Union, with the coordinators of OLAMCAM in six villages in Noni Sub-Division as well as some key coffee farmers in the six sampled villages in the region, to get information on the evolution of the coffee sector in the study area under study from 2006 to 2015. 100 questionnaires were administered using a proportionate random sampling method. The sampling frame constituted the six villages that make up Noni Sub Division.These villages were proportionately chosen so that both the Upper Noni and Lower Noni were covered. In this light, the sample frame conprised Djottin and Din for Upper Noni and Dom, Nkor, Mbinon and Lassin for the Lower Noni. With these questionnaires, coffee farmers were able to express their personal views on coffee cultivation for the past 20 years as well as the relation between coffee price and development in Noni Sub-Division. Data on production trend and market prices was collected from the archives of the Noni Area Cooperative Union as well as those of some Village Coperative Societies. This gave us the trends in coffee production for the past 20 years. Climatic data collected from the Sub-Divisional Delegation of Agricultre and this gave us a clue on the fluctuations in climatic conditions and the effect on crop cultivation and management. Maps were used to show the different relief forms and the spatial distribution of coffee farms and cooperative societies. Pictures were taken to illustrate some salient points raised in the discussion.
Data collected from the various sources was analysed and presentated on tables, in percentages, averages, graphs and pie charts. Line graphs and bar graphs were also developed from the data obtained to show the trends in coffee production over the past 20 years. To illustrate the relationship between fluctuations in coffee production and fluctuations in price over the 20 years in Noni Sub Division, the Product Moment Correlation (r) was used. The two variables were coffee and price.

Factors Favouring Cofffee Production in Noni Sub -Division
Noni Sub Division in Bui Division of the Northwest Region of Cameroon lies between longitute 10 0 31 1 and 10 0 38 1 East of the Green Wich Meridian and between latitute 6 0 15 1 and 6 0 28 1 North of the Equator. This area is bounded to the northwest by Donga-Mantung Division, to the southwest by Oku Sub Division and in the East and south by kumbu Sub-Division ( Figure 1). The prevailing climate here with heavy rainfall, high intensity of sunshine, high temperature provide favourable conditions for the cultivation of coffee. This particular climatic condition iscomplemented by the relief as well as soil condition which favours the cultivation of coffee. Coffee cultivation in Noni is not uniformly distributed as there are areas with high, moderate and low rate or amount of coffee production. The upper Noni which consists of Djottin and Din are main areas of high coffee production. Lower Noni which is mainly the lowland areas has very low rate of production particularly in Nkor and Lassin. Mbinon and Dom in lower Noni have moderate rate of production.
Noni Sub-Division falls within the humid tropical region which characterizes the Bamenda High Lands of the North West Region of Cameroon. The area receives a considerable amount of rainfall and sunshine which enhance the production of Arabica coffee. This climate is made up of two seasons which are rainy and the dry seasons. The rainy season in Noni starts from mid February and ends around mid October with annual rainfall between 1800mm and 2200mm with highest intensity in July and August. The dry season starts around mid October and progressively continues to February. These two seasons in Noni are all favourable for coffee production. The beginning of each season is just enough to ensure the flowering, maturity, repining and harvesting of coffee. The flowering of coffee plants and the formation of young cherries start from March. Immediately the rains subside by September harvesting progressively begins. The amount of sun shine and atmospheric moisture content during this period is enough to enhance ripening, sunning and transportation of the coffee beans. The main form of precipitation is rainfall during which ground water recharge takes place and nourishes the coffee plants. The light rainfall around March coupled with the mild winds during this period facilitates the flowering of coffee. When the intensity of rainfall starts to increase by May, the development of the coffee cherries starts and gets mature by August. The gradual arrival of the dry season by September with a reduction in amount of rainfall leads to gradual ripening of coffee. All the climatic elements like rainfall, temperature, sunshine, mild winds and atmospheric humidity all combine to give a favourable climatic condition for the cultivation of coffee in Noni. Low land areas like Nkor and Lassin are comparatively warmer whereas high relief areas like Nkale Din, Djottin, Dom and Mbinon are moderately cool. The activities of farmers such as planting, tilling, cleaning, pruning, harvesting, drying, and transportation are, to a large extent, controlled by these climatic conditions (Table 1). Sunshine starts and humidity increases as rainfall decreases giving favourable condition for ripening and harvesting Source: Field work, 2014 Relief and soil Relief is a major determining factor in the growth and development of Arabica and java coffee species. Coffee is grown on all slopes within the specific climatic conditions except on cohesive slopes with gradient ranging from 45 o to 55 o . With regards to Noni Sub-Division it strives on slopes, lowlands and valleys with variation in the intensity. The slopes are north facing, with an average gradient between 15 0 to 25 0 ( Figure 2). It should be noted that Noni Sub-Division is made up of highlands and lowlands with an average altitude of 1200m above sea level with highest peaks in Dom (2000m). The gradient of the slopes facilitates good drainage, exposure to mild winds and sun shine since there are north facing. This explains why there is high intensity of Arabica coffee cultivation is in upper Noni, low intensity in lower Noni particularly in Nkor and Lassin and the moderate intensity in Dom and Mbinon. Figure 3 illustrates the spatial distribution of coffee farms with respect to relief as testified by the coffee farmers in the Noni villages.  Vol.11, No.2, 2021 Sub Division.
An increasing proportion of the area is vegetated by coffee farms particularly closer to the homes. Maize and beans cultivation, especially during the wet season also constitutes part of the vegetation. Bananas, oranges, mango trees and palm bushes equally occupy a great deal of land in Noni. Cattle rearing has taken over areas that are occupied by patches of grassland. The decomposition of this vegetation and leaves of the trees contribute to the fertility of the soils which favours the growth of Arabica coffee. These trees also serve as shade for most of the coffee farms and add to the increasing coffee yields. However, vegetation has declined significantly as there is constant quest for settlement, crop cultivation and more coffee farms. Drainage is also an indispensable factor that affects agriculture in general and coffee cultivation in particular. Precipitation rates are directly influenced by the amount of evaporation from the surface. In fact, rivers, streams and lakes play an important role in determining the drainage of a region. Noni is well drained by streams and rivers whose courses have been highly interrupted by the irregular nature of its topography. Their regimes and volumes are never constant due to seasonal changes and consequently the rates of precipitation.. Several smaller streams exist and combine to flow into River Katsina Ala in Nigeria. Enough water is provided and hence evaporation rates are high, condensation and precipitation is increased especially during the wet season which allows for the growth of coffee and other crops.

Land availability
Land is one of the vital physical factors in the cultivation of coffee in Noni. There exists enough arable land in the area as more than 2 3 of the arable land is uncultivated. With the coming of OLAMCAM to Noni Sub-Division in 2008, education on coffee cultivation has been given to farmers coupled with the introduction of the Java 2 species of coffee. With the availability of land, most farmers have been opening new farms for the planting of the new species. With the presence of this vast arable land favourable for the cultivation of coffee, farmers have been very much encouraged to open new farms especially the youths. From field report, 80% of the farmers have access to land and are developing it. 10% have access to land but have not started developing it because of lack of finance and 6% of the farmers have no access to excess land for coffee cultivation and 4% have conflict over arable land for coffee cultivation mainly as a result of land tenure, whereby some parcels of land are strictly for some particular families. It is thus evident that there exists enough arable land for coffee cultivation in Noni, which has encouraged most youths to embrace coffee cultivation. Figure 4 below shows the land use of Noni with respect to coffee cultivation, food crops cultivation and cattle rearing. The map reveals that the genttle slopes are used for the cultivation of coffee and food crops, while the stepper slopes of the area are for the rearing of cattles. Hence there is a relationship between relief and agricultural types. It was also observed that besides the prevailing physical conditions favouring the cultivation of Arabica coffee, human factors such as availability of market, training and farm management. also play a vital role in the coffee production. Figure 4; Agricultural landuse map of Noni Sub Division their produce. Before the liberalization of the coffee sector in Cameroon in the 1990s, there existed the National Produce Marketing Board (NPMB), which was in charge of coffee production and commercialization in the country particularly in the North West and South West Regions. With this organization, farmers were able to sell their coffee, as well as receive farm inputs at moderate prices. In the North West region, for example we had the marketing board and the North West Cooperatives Association (NWCA) with subsidiary cooperative Unions and cooperative societies through which farmers channeled their coffee for marketing. Before 1995 when the Noni Area Cooperative Union (NACU) was created, Noni area was part of the Oku Noni Cooperative Union, where farmers, under their local cooperatives societies, could sell their coffee. By 1995 Noni Area Cooperative Union was formed and most farmers in all the villages were members but in 2008 the union collapsed due to mismanagement. However, farmers continued to sell their coffee to individual buyers until OLAMCAM came in 2008. The coming of OLAMCAM was to educate farmers on coffee cultivation, as well to buy coffee from farmers. It was only in 2014 that the defunct Noni union was reorganized for farmers to channel their coffee for marketing. Thus, in Noni Sub Division, there have always been channels for the farmers to sell their coffee. Although the Noni Area Cooperative Union (NACU) in Djottin was re-organisated in 2014, some farmers still prefer to sell their coffee to OLAMCAM and individual buyers This is because the Union was mismanaged and many farmers lost their faith in them. Consequently, the greater proportion of coffee today in Noni is sold to OLAMCAM and this can be explained by the fact that payment with OLAMCAM and individual buyer is instant.

Farm management/training
Farm management refers to the act of taking good care of the farm to maximize output. It refers to activities like pruning the stem, clearing the farms, tilling and application of chemicals at the right time and in the correct quantity. Most farmers here have been educated by OLAMCAM on how to manage their farms and field reports show that 80% of coffee farmers in Noni attain educative meetings offered by OLAMCAM to improve on coffee cultivation. Farm inputs have also been given to farmers at cheaper rates as well as awards given to best coffee farmers by OLAMCAM in the form of farm inputs. With this education from OLAMCAM, most of the youths have been encouraged to cultivate coffee in a large scale. A new style of pruning has also been introduced by OLAMCAM known as the Multiple Stem Method which allows much young stems to generate from an old stem. This pruning is now done with the use of pruning scissors and hand saw against the use of machetes in the past.
Farmers have also acquired knowledge on how to apply fertilizers and the use of pesticides to improve on their produce. With this education, most farmers in Noni know how and when to prune their coffee, till their farms, apply fertilizer and the type of shed plant to be planted in their coffee farms. However, with this training, some farmers still do not practise all these activities because of lack of finance to manage their farms.

Trends in Coffee Production in Noni Sub-Division From 1970 to 2015
Over the past two decades, there has been a fluctuation in the production of coffee in the study area. The trends in coffee production indicate that there are some periods where coffee production was high with so many farmers involved and with the opening of new farms, as well as the application of fertilizers and pesticides and subsidies from the Cameroon government. This was the period before the economic crisis. During and after the economic crisis, coffee production dropped as farmers abandoned coffee farms and cleared down the coffee stems in favour of food crops which yielded much revenue with an available market than coffee This particular period was characterized by the drop in the prices of coffee in the world market, the devaluation of CFA currency and the liberalization of the coffee sector in Cameroon. However, since 2000 there has been a gradual rise in coffee production and this is a result of the government's involvement in the sector and other stake holders like OLAMCAM. These stakeholders have been educating and training farmers in Noni Sub Division on how to cultivate Arabica coffee coupled with the fact that coffee prices in the world market has increased. During the period 1970 to 1979, in Noni Sub Division, so many farmers were encouraged to grow coffee as it was one of the main cash crops of the country. Much revenue was yielded from this activity as there was subsidization from the government and price stabilization through the National Produce Marketing Board (NPMB), which was in charge of coffee commercialization and provision of farm inputs at moderate prices. Farmers received farm inputs through their Cooperative Societies which existed in most of the villages in Noni Sub-Division under the Nso Cooperative Union. Because of this, much care was given to coffee sector and farmers were encouraged to grow more coffee. The demand for coffee in the world market was high and as a result, coffee output increased (Table 2). Thus, the trend of production during this period shows a steady increase with slight differences observed among the various villages with Djottin having a higher production rate than Lassin. However, a slight drop was witnessed in 1972 and this was due to pests and diseases which attacked coffee cherries in all the villages of Noni Sub Division that year, especially the Coffee Bearing Disease (CBD). After the 1972 attack on coffee cherries, there was the distribution of pesticides and fungicides by the government of Cameroon through the Nso Cooperative Union to farmers to fight against this CBD. As a result of this, coffee production picked up again and increased in 1973 and continued increasing to 1979.
Journal of Environment and Earth Science www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3216 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0948 (Online) Vol.11, No.2, 2021 1970-1979PRIMARY SOCIETIES 1970197119721973197419751976197719781979 Djottin 62102  63011  58300  60100  63200  65112  66602  68800  70130  73030  Din  20320  20700  20100  20701  21212  21490  22809  23608  24199  28260  Nkor  9208  9302  10020  10300  11211  13111  13300  14201  14918  15700  Lassin  4319  4418  4130  4401  4920  5381  5419  5506  5710  6091  Mbinon  44110  14201  14300  14720  15118  15216  15703  16200  16417  17712  Dom  ------- Source: Oku Union and Noni Area Cooperative union archives (1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999) The period 1980 to 1989 marked the formation of the Oku Noni Cooperative Union in 1982. Farm inputs especially fertilizers and pesticides were given to farmers at moderate prices through their Cooperative Societies. The application of pesticides reduced the rate of pests and diseases which attacked coffee while the application of fertilizers increased the soil fertility. There was also the introduction of the Java specie of Arabica coffee which was a High Yielding Varity to boost the output of famers. Because of these efforts, coffee output in this Sub Division increased (Table 3) but slightly lower than the previous period as a result of the economic crisis of 1986 which led to a slight decrease in the prices of coffee in the world market and a reduction in the government subsidies to farmers. The increase in coffee output from 1988 to 1989 was as a result of slight increase in the prices of coffee in the world market which encouraged coffee farmers to regenerate most of their farms.  (1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999) The period between 1990 and 2015 saw the birth of the Noni Area Cooperative Union (NACU) in 1996 in Djottin. Coffee farmers in some villages within the Noni Sub Division boycotted the Union and continued with the Oku and Nso Union and some sold their coffee to licensed buying agents especially in Nkor, Lassin, Mbinon and Ndin. The trend in coffee production during this period was on a decrease with fluctuations in output within the years. The period between 1990 to 1999 was therefore considered as the worst period in the history of coffee production in Noni Sub Division. Farmers abandoned their coffee farms and cleared coffee stems in favour of the cultivation of food crops. There was the absence of farm inputs as the prices of coffee in the world market was very low as a result of the economic crisis. Coffee output fluctuated during this period with a decreasing trend ( Table 4). The gradual rise in output in 1998 was ushered by the reorganization of Dim Cooperative Society.  Vol.11, No.2, 2021 the collapse, most of its members had withdrawn and started selling their coffee to buying agents and individual buyers. This was mainly because of the mismanagement of NACU. From 2003to 2006 NACU had very few members as most of the famers sold their coffee out of the Union. The Cooperative Societies were closed down and farmers took charge of the commercialization of their coffee produce. There was also the absence of farm inputs like fertilizers and pesticides. However, with the relunch of coffee by the Cameroon government in 2008, OLAMCAM came to Noni Sub Division with the aim of educating and training farmers on the cultivation of coffee production increase. This organization also introduced high yielding variety of coffee known as the "java 2" which most of the farmers are planting now. The graph shows a gradual decline from 2000 to 2008 due to the drop in coffee prices in te world market. From 2008, when world prices started rising again and with the coming of OLAMCAM, farmers were then encouraged to cultivate more coffee so as to meet up with the national target in the world market. The rapid growth in coffee production was equally necessitated by active regional participation of small and medium size entreprises which encouraged farmers to increase farm sizes as well as financial donations to farmers in order to control the spread of pests and diseases affecting coffee. Because of these measures, coffee output began to increase progressively from 2009 to 2015. As a result of the national interest on the coffee sector, the North West Cooperative Association (NWCA) saw it necessary to reorganize the defunct Cooperative Unions in North West Region so as to encourage farmers to cultivate coffee and equally belong to a particular Cooperative Society so as to benefit from the government grants. As a result of this, the defunct Noni Area Cooperation Union was reorganized in Djottin in June 2014.

Causes for the Fluctuation of Coffee Output
From the1960s up to the early 1990s, the Cameroon government used institutions such as the Marketing Board and later Credit Agricole du Cameroun (C. A.C) to help stabilize coffee prices and give loans to farmers through Cooperative societies. The various periods in coffee production discussed above correspond to the period of fluctuating prices of coffee in the world market. Farmers are always encouraged by high prices offered for their product and these positively affect output. From 1986 after the economic crisis, prices of coffee in the world market dropped significantly and the impact was a drop in output. The situation became worse in the 1990s with the of devaluation of the CFA and liberalization of the coffee sector and with the closing down of the National Producing Marketing Board (NPMB). Prices of coffee drastically dropped and affected output negatively. This drop in coffee production in 1990 continued till the year 2000. With the increase in the prices of coffee in 2006, coffee output also increased. This is confirmed by over 80% of the farmers interviewed who testified that the greatest problem faced in the coffee production is that of price. The table below shows fluctuations in coffee prices per kilogram of coffee from 1990 to 2014.
Journal of Environment and Earth Science www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3216 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0948 (Online) Vol.11, No.2, 2021 Table 5: Coffee price per kg from 1990 to 2014  YEAR  PRICE  YEAR  PRICE  YEAR  PRICE  YEAR  PRICE  YEAR  PRICE  1990  300  1995  665  2000  400  2005  525  2010  1200  1991  275  1996  750  2001  300  2006  650  2011  1200  1992  275  1997  500  2002  475  2007  575  2012  1000  1993  275  1998  500  2003  395  2008  625  2013  1000  1994  500  1999  400  2004  375  2009  550  2014 1200 Source: Cameroon Coffee Development Strategy 2014 To show the relationship between coffee and prices in Noni, the Product Moment Correlation was used as shown on table 6. The product moment correlation is calculated as r = ∑xy/n ─ X ▪ Y Sx Sy Where r = the product moment correlation X and y= the two variable prices and coffee X and y = the mean of the two variables Sx and Sy = sample standard deviation of the variables  . .

= .
. r = 0.89 The value 0.89 indicates a strong positive relationship between the two variables, that is, coffee and price. When prices are high, farmers are encouraged to cultivate more coffee which leads to high output in subsequent Journal of Environment and Earth Science www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3216 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0948 (Online) Vol.11, No.2, 2021 years, whereas when prices drop farmers become discouraged to cultivate coffee and thereby leading to a drop in coffee production. Coffee price is therefore a strong motivating factor for coffee cultivation in Noni Sub Division.
Coffee cultivation, like other cash crops cultivation in Noni Sub-Division, requires a lot of close supervision and financial obligations. For a good harvest to be obtained, farmers need to constantly clear their farms, do proper pruning and spraying to control pests and eliminate the effects of coffee related diseases. Pruning tools, chemicals needed like Nordox 75mg for spraying coffee farms, harvesting of coffee and partial transformation activities are expensive. If these elements are not put in place even with a price increase in the world market, output will still be low. Another issue hindering production is the age of the stem. Most coffee farms in Noni Sub Division are over five decades old. Poor maintenance activities coupled with coffee related diseases significantly placed the sector in a very poor state. The absence of adequate knowledge on proper pruning mechanisms, poor periodic rejuvenation techniques, lack of disease resistant species further compound this trend. Most farmers are old and the energy required for proper crop management is largely absent. This has contributed to the declining state of the sector in the area.
Besides the old nature of most farms in Noni Sub Division, coffee related diseases have also contributed to the destruction of the coffee economy in certain areas like Nkor and Lassin. The most common type of pest in the area is the Coffee Stem Borals (CSB). This Coffee Berry Disease (CBD),is a major constraint for Arabica coffee cultivation in Africa. It causes the cherry to rot and premature fruit falls off leading to considerable harvest losses in the Noni Sub Division. It is also responsible for the destruction of many coffee stems.
When it affects the young cherries, they develop black spots and eventually fall off. Bees and butterflies destroy the flowering coffee plants. Bats and other rodents like squirrels and rats eat up the developed and ripened coffee cherries. The following table presents some of the different pests within the area and some posible best control measures which have been used with some degree of succes.  Vol.11, No.2, 2021 Climate is one of the most important factors favouring coffee production in Noni Sub-Division. Climatic elements like sunshine, temperature, rainfall and wind are all important for the growth, development and ripening of coffee cherries. Variations within the normal climate patterns affect coffee production leading to drop in output. Rainfall in mid February to mid March enhances flowering of coffee and as the rain progressively increases to August, young cherries are developed. Despite this condition, rain at times comes in mid February and ceases for the whole of March to May leading to the drying-off of the flower, thus altering normal cherry development. Also, when rain falls heavily in March accompanied by strong winds, coffee flowers are destroyed as testified by coffee farmers. Rainfall which is supposed to reduce by October for harvesting of coffee to take place, at times continuous up to November shattering ripe coffee ready for harvesting. High intensity of sun by April and May at times leads to the development and spread of Coffee Berry Borer (CBB) which further leads to premature cherry drop. Heavy rainfall and strong winds also enhance the spread of some pests and diseases. These factors account for the fluctuations in coffee production.

Socio -Economic Impacts of Coffee Cultivation
The socio economic impacts of coffee production in the Noni Sub Division are many and cover domain: like employment, source of income, health and education, as we as infrastructural development. Coffee farming had created and still continues to offer job opportunities both at the villages and at the cooperative level. It offers self employment to farmers and provides indirect employment to the indigenes of the Noni Sub Division. Ageing coffee farmers cannot perform certain aspects of coffee farming such as clearing, harvesting, pulping and transportation. Field report shows that about 80 percent of the active population in the Noni Sub Division is directly and indirectly involved in coffee cultivation. Before the year 2006 when NACU collapsed, it had about 30 permanent workers and over 50 seasonal workers. Some of these workers are involved in nursery, selecting of the grains, weighing, bookkeeping and store keeping. With the reorganization of NACU in 2014 some of the Cooperatives were reorganized and so many people gained employment either with the Union or the subsidiary Cooperative Societies. By January 2015 the total number of permanent workers with the Union and cooperative societies was 25. From reports in the field, the number dropped with the drop in coffee prices.
Income from coffee production brings in revenue in the country at large and increases the per capita income of the farmers individually. Through oral discussion with some coffee farmers in Noni Sub Division, income from coffee sales is used to re-invest in other small scale businesses like operating a provision store, retailing some basic household necessities (palm oil and kerosene) and the rearing of animals like sheep, goats and cattle. The farmers are able to contribute for developmental projects such as water projects, infrastructural development like schools and houses. Also, information from the field revealed that in the past the coffee farmers operated a "coffee njangi" group. This was very instrumental as it enable coffee farmers to acquire finances for construction and other problems faced by the farmers. For instance, in the year 2012 coffee farmers earned between 120,000 and 300,000 FRS per month depending on the quantity produced and the cost of a kilogram of coffee in the world market. However, the income earned by coffee farmers in Noni Sub Division cannot be predicted since coffee prices are determined by forces of demand and supply in the world market. In the year 2006-2009 prices were encouraging between (550-650 FCFA per kkg) and from 2010-2014(1200-1000 FCFA/kg) for a kilogram of coffee. Farmers were highly encouraged as some opened new coffee farms and improved on their standard of living.
In spite of the fluctuating and the decline in coffee production, the coffee sector is still essential to the large coffee population in the Noni Sub Division as they depend on the income from the sale of their coffee for basic facilities like paying their medical bills and educating their children. In Noni Sub Division, nearly all the coffee farmers have been educating and are still educating their children from coffee income. In upper Noni, for example coffee is the main source of income. Hence, when coffee prices drop, farmers in Noni Sub Division face a lot of difficulties in settling school and medical bills for their children. This was the case in the 1990s in Din and Djottin where enrollment numbers of children sent to secondary school dropped. The situation improved in 2002 when coffee prices increased again. From a survey conducted on farmers about their income, it was revealed that education consumes up to 40% of the total coffee income and health 15%.
In the past, most farmers in the area lived in grass roofted houses which required periodic replacement of the roofs. Today, modern homes have been built and roofed with corrugated iron sheets. Unlike the grass roofted houses, the construction of modern homes helped the farmers to store their coffee safely from being soaked by rain during the wet season. In each of the six villages of the study area, there are self-reliant and development oriented authorities. These included: Djottin Area Development Authority (DADA), Din Development Authority (DDA), Nkor Development Authority (NDA), Lassin Development Authority (LADA) and Mbinon Development Authority (MBIDA). These groups hold their annual development meetings in December every year. This is a time when the bulk of coffee produce is harvested and sold. Coffee farmers therefore are viable enough to contribute in the different projects initiated by the development authorities. The importance of the coffee sector, as a source of livelihood therefore cannot be undermined as it plays a great role in the standard of living of the people.

Conclusion
In the previous years, the coffee sector was very vital in the socio-economic development of the indigenes and most rural communities who depended on coffee to sustain their livelihood. There is the need for stakeholders to revamp and stabilize prices of coffee and the introduction of a processing unit will lead to development. Based on all the positive issues this sector brings to this area, workshops and seminars should be organised by the various stakeholders to educate farmers on good farming techniques and provide improved coffee seedlings. The government of Cameroon through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should encourage Agricultural Shows and prizes should be awarded to the best coffee producers, as this will help to promote high quality yields for farmers. The government should create processing plants to cope with domestic production and to reinforce her assistance to cooperatives.The prices of farm inputs should be subsidized and the government should review downwards the taxes for the importation of these farm inputs and make them more available and cheap to every farmer. Research activities should be encouraged through the provision of high yielding coffee varieties which are resistant to pest and diseases. Coffee farmers in Noni should be encouraged to join the cooperative societies in their various villages so as to be able to benefit from government grants to coffee farmers. If some of these recommendations are put in place, it will go a long way in improving the socio-economic development of this area and Cameroon as whole.