WHITE PEPPER (Piper nigrum) PRODUCTION AND THE CHALLENGE OF POVERTY REDUCTION IN PENJA, CAMEROON

Reducing rural poverty by intensifying agricultural production is one of the major challenges in most developing countries. The main objective of this study was to quantify the effect of white pepper production on the challenge of poverty reduction in Penja, Cameroon. We have to make used of multiple correspondence analyses to construct a poverty reduction index using primary data collected in the study area. The result is estimated using weighted ordinary least squared. The result shows that white pepper production is significantly corroborating with poverty reduction in Penja, Cameroon. However, the reduction in poverty is more explained by the industrial production of pepper. We equally observed that climate change, financial difficulties and availability of cultivated land are the main constraints faced by pepper farmers. In terms of policy, the government should create policies to regulate the pepper market as well as grant subsidies to producers operating in this sector. This is a wise step towards increase production and poverty reduction in Cameroon.