North West: Barbed Wires To Fence Pasture Seed Farms

Bamenda (Mezam)-Some 1050 Pastoralists in the North West region are jumping for joy with huge support from the government to enhance livestock production and productivity. March 23, 2018 was a day for the Sub sector when Pastoralists received 750,000 meters of barbed wires to fence at least 625 hectares of pasture seed farms.

It is all about increasing pasture production as beneficiary farmers from 41 cooperatives across the region equally took home some 2,000 packets of nails to protect pasture seed farms. It emerged from the event in Bamenda that the offer is expected to boost animal nutrition. At the center of the activity, is the Livestock and Fisheries Development project (LIFIDEP).

In effect, while Pastoralists retired with barbed wires and nails, the Coordinator of LIFIDEP, Mbipeh Pius Shidiki took time off to announce some major developments that inspire hope in the sector.

The Coordinator revealed that in 2018, the government will supply 660,000 subsidized day old chicks to the population of the North West region, rehabilitate 500 km of rural roads, construct and equip seven pasture demonstration centers and launch the construction of various community and livestock infrastructures such as water schemes, classrooms, community halls, health centers and machinery for mill processing and feed production.

It was also the Coordinator of LIFIDEP who informed small ruminant farmers, especially women and youths that 7,380 young stock will be served intermittently through out the region following the passing on the Gift system. LIFIDEP’s agenda equally features the insemination of some 66,579 cattle and the package to implement the activity is advanced at the level of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

Meanwhile, the project’s micro-finance scheme carrying an envelope of FCFA 750,000 million is expected to go operational in 2018 with two selected micro finance institut...