Rong village, otherwise known officially as Njirong village is found in the extreme North-Western Region of Cameroon. This village is divided into two parts: the upper Rong (where the Fon’s Palace is located) and the Lower Rong other wise known as Mbawrong. The upper section of the village is located on an altitude of about 1900m above sea level with temperatures of about 20 -230c annually with rainfall of about 3000mm. Lower Rong or Mbawrong is located in the Mbaw Plain on an altitude of about 900m above sea level with temperatures ranging from 25 - 290c, with rainfall of about 2000mm.
These variations in relief climate have been a source of blessing as the village practiced varied economic activities. These range from agriculture, fishing, forestry and tourism.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the main human activity of this village and it is the backbone of the economy. It can be divided into subsistence agriculture and commercial agriculture as well as pastoral agriculture.
A) Subsistence agriculture.
The villagers of the upper section of the village cultivate crops like corn, beans potatoes and cocoa yams. Vegetables like huckleberry are cultivated for domestic consumption. Large quantities of harvested food crops are sold in Ntumbaw and Ndu markets. It is equally worth noting that bananas, plantains tomatoes and sugarcane are grown at subsistence level. The fertile soils of Nyanki and Shuashua contribute a great deal to making the upper section of the village the source of agricultural produce in Ndu Sub-Division.
In the lower part of the village Mbawrong agriculture is equally practiced with the difference being that it is done on commercial basis. In addition to all what is produced in the upper Rong, the fertile crescent of Mbawrong is well – known for the cultivation of groundnuts, egussi okra, Soya beans and beans in general. Other crops that are grown in this part of the village include yams, pepper, cassava and sweet potatoes. Due to the disenclavement of the area, business men and women always come right to the doors of the farmers to buy the produce. Mbawrong the bread basket of Ndu Sub Division has been become of strategic importance to the government and European Union because of its economic vitality.
B) Tree Crops.
Tree crops are grown in Mbawrong in large quantities as a result of its fertile alluvial soil. These include oranges, plumps, guava, pears, mangoes, grapes, lemons, limes etc. These are sold right at the door steps of the farmers as buyers come from Kumba, Foumban, Ndu and even Nigeria in quest of these fruits.
C) Commercial Agriculture
Commercial agriculture is practiced in Mbawrong. Palms and rice farming are cultivated on a commercial scale. Much of the oil palm in the region is sold in Cameroon and Nigeria. The first cooperation society was created there known as the Mbawrong Rice cooperative limited which helped the farmers in marketing the rice .Recently ,thousand of tons of rice produced in Mbawrong is sold to Nigeria, the Western Region of Cameroon as well as to buyers who come to the area form Ndop .Due to the assistance from the Cameroon government improved Varity of rice is cultivated in the village and this has gone a long way in the helping the villagers send children to school .Many children are even able to sponsor themselves due to agricultural practices as evident in G.S.S Mbawrong
Cocoa production is also effected in Mbawrong but in small scale as this crops production is still developing in the village. This sector, though still developing is already attracting many buyers who unfortunately do not use scale balance in buying the cocoa. Many farmers are getting in to the production of this crop, given the increasing price of cocoa at the world market today. This produce is sold mostly to buyers who come form Bafoussam, at given away price.
(D) Pastoral Agriculture
This type of agriculture is practiced both in upper and lower section of the village. Involved are the villagers and outsiders (some of whom are from Nigeria), the bororos, the Akus etc. Due to it vegetation and vast landscape (one of the largest in Donga Mantung division) the village can boast of hundred of thousand of cattle. The tribal conflict in the neighboring Nigeria have paradoxically contributed positively to this sector of agriculture in the village as a good number of immigrants form Nigeria have settled in Mbawrong. During the dry season, transhuman is easy in the village as the cattle of the upper section of the village move down to Mbawrong and only go back during the rainy season.
2) Fishing
This sector occupies an important place in the economy of the village and that of Ndu-sub division. Using merely traditional methods the village is capable of producing hundred of tons of fish per year. This is practice in big streams like Nkuh, Ngensi, Nfi, Miwie, Nkoh etc.The Bamenjim dam has caused a variety of fish to be present in the lower section of the village and this has been a blessing to the village. Most of the fish that is found here include mud fish, Cray fish, njanga, mbonga or what is popularly as known” wan buni,” tilapia and crap. The fish is consumed locally as well as exported to Nigeria and other regions of Cameroon
3) Vegetation and Forest Exploitation
The village is blessed with various types of vegetation due to its diverse climatic condition and rich soil. A vast nature forest has developed at the Nyanki area of the village which is located in the middle of the upper and lower section of the village. The village needs sponsors to conserve and protect this bio-diversity natural resource which is estimated at thousand of square kilometers
The Eucalyptus tree is grown in the upper section of the village. It has gone a long way to help villagers as it is a source of fuel for cooking and its wood is used in building houses. Recently there has been mad –rush to the village by outsiders who trade in timber. This is exported mainly to big towns like Bamenda, Douala, Limbe, Buea, kumba etc wild life and like mahogany, Iroko, Eony and cam wood are found in the Nyanki area Of the village as well as at Mbawrong. There constitute a delicacy to dealers in the timber who have not had it easy with the ministry of wild life and Environmental Protection. All in all, this has also been a major factor in bringing revenue to the village, as they have not only offered timber, but also medicine (qurmine) too.
Setbacks to the Njirong Village Economy
1)The big loss of human resource. In addition to the human loss recorded during the slave trade it is unfortunate that the migration of the warr people (now in Ntumbaw) has affected the progress of the village to a large extent. These people used to live in Rong village (just above the palace) but due to some misunderstanding they migrated to Ntumbaw around 1945. It is reported that in those days the medical tree “Rep” which is used in producing quinine was never used as fire wood except by the village head – the Fon. It happened one day that some people of war committed the taboo by burning this stick as fire wood, instead of forwarding it to the Fon’s Palace to be used as fire wood when the Fon and his councilors learnt of this act they became furious with the Warr people. This led to some misunderstandings consequently causing the warr people to leave Rong (Njirong) and settled in the neighboring village – Ntwmbaw. As a matter of fact the contribution of these people to the development of Ntumbaw has made the Njirong people to wonder as to what would have become of this blessed village had the war people remained in Njirong.
2)The Fertile Mbawrong Land
The land at Mbawrong is exceptionally fertile. It is so rich in fertility that almost every crop does well there. This coupled with the God – given generosity of the Rong people has led to an influx of outsiders in the village. This has led to a long lasting land dispute with a neighboring village that has just been recently solved by the Cameroon Government. This dispute has gone a long way to retard the development of the village, which explains why Njirong is one of the few unfortunate villages Donga Mantung Division of the North West Region of Cameroon that neither has pipe born water nor electricity. As a matter of fact the village has been losing quit a good number of people due to diseases not unconnected with the drinking of dirty water.
3) Other set-backs to the economic welfare of the village has manifested themselves
In farmer-grazer problems. From time immemorial the village has lost a lot of wealth in an attempt to bring cattle rearers and farmers to agreement especially as some administrators have rather helped to fan these misunderstandings to the detriment of the village.
It has been only by the special grace of God that Rong otherwise known as Njirong has survived till date. The fact that it is now referred to by some as the “Israel of Ndu Sub – Division” still leaves much to be desired by the villagers of the “little heaven” on earth.
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