Indian brand Sonalika’s tractor assembly unit, built in the town of Ebolowa, regional capital of South-Cameroon, is already operational. It can, to date, produce up to 5 tractors per day, we learned during a recent onsite visit by the Cameroonian Minister of Economy, Louis Paul Motazé.

This government member even recommended that the tractors produced in this plant be quickly put to trial in experimental farms, for eventual faults to be corrected before their launch on the local and sub-regional market. This assembly unit is financed by the Cameroonian government, who thus plans to promote more mechanisation in the local agriculture.

In 2011, the year for which its delivery was initially scheduled, this unit was at the heart of a scandal. Indeed, that year, about one hundred tractors assembled during the test phase were left in neglect, at the mercy of the weather, due to the construction works for the shelters meant for them shutting down.

The company Immobiliare then accused the government of not being able to release the necessary funds for the works to continue. A visit by the Minister of Economy on the ground led to FCfa 300 million being made available at first, followed by other releases of funds which finally resulted in the ongoing completion of the works.