Donga Mantung: 491 Breeders Benefit from LIFIDEP Sheep/Goats Programme
The Livestock and Fisheries Development Programme-LIFIDEP has officially handed over 940 sheep and goats to farmers in Donga Mantung Division. There was euphoria at Sabongari, Ndu, Nkambe, Misaje and Ako where small sheep/ goat breeders received hundred of goats as part of the Pass On the Gift Programme to instill growth. Five cooperatives with membership of 491 members received 940 sheep/goats ranging 4 animals to 7 animals per member.
The cooperatives that benefitted from the Pass On the Gift are MEFIH Borders Cooperative of Sabongari for Nwa Sub Division, Ndu Small Ruminants Simplified Cooperative for Ndu Sub Division, Misaje Small Ruminants Simplified Cooperative for Misaje Sub Division, Ako Small Ruminants Simplified Cooperative for Ako Sub Division, Salama Women and Nkambe Active Youths Small Ruminants Simplified Cooperative for Nkambe Central.
Speaking to farmers at the various points of distributions, the representative of the Director General of North West Development Authority-MIDENO, Roland Azinwi Ngufor, expressed joy and gratitude to farmers for the massive turnout. Addressing farmers in Ako, Sabongari, Ndu, Nkambe and Misaje, Roland Azinwi advised farmers that they should use the gift to improve on their standard of living. Harping on the activities of MIDENO as general overseer of development efforts in the North West Region, Roland enumerated all the actions of MIDENO in fostering development. He equally told farmers that there is a mirco credit scheme at the level of United Savings and Credits-USA Credit where animal breeders to obtain soft loans to beef up production. Emphazing on improving of the small ruminants sector, Roland Azinwi Ngufor added that apart from the support in animals given to farmers, LIFIDEP will also provide veterinary drugs to each beneficiary cooperative which will serve as a revolving fund to sustain their activities.
On his part Dr. Teboh Andrew who represented the Coordinator of LIFIDEP and is incharge of the distribution exercise gave out on the spot practical lessons to breeders. He called on farmers to put to use of the various capacity building they recieved in animal management. Dr. Teboh Andrew used the occasion to enumurate the number of projects that LIFIDEP has executed in Donga Mantung Division. He projects include amongst others the construction of classrooms, community halls, roads, health centers, water schemes, artificial insemination/ vaccination crushes, cattle deeps and the putting in place of pasture demonstration centers. Besides that he continued that LIFIDEP has equally constructed zootechnical centers, Divisional veterinary clinics, and has provided alot of capacity building for farmers. Furthermore, Dr. Teboh Andrew said LIFIDEP has put at the disposal of farmers and he reiterated the fact that Donga Mantung has all the potentials for small ruminants to flourish. Before leaving Nkambe, the team expressed satisfaction over what they saw and the enthusiasm that characterized the handing over ceremony.
Doing some certifications ahead of the handing over of the support to breeders in Nkambe, Damasus Niba Ngwa, Divisional Focal point of LIFIDEP for Donga Mantung prescribed astudness to breeders, adding that LIFIDEP has instituted Pass On the Gift programme to improve on breeders income and production. According to Damasus Niba Ngwa, the contribution of goats/sheep is highly valued and has an important role in feeding the populations, reasons why LIFIDEP has instituted Pass on the Gift Programme to encourage sustainable food chain. In fact, goats are extremely intelligent animals, very agile, and independent, with a high level of resistance to diseases, much better than other ruminant species, he concluded. A week before the handing over ceremony, it is worth mentioning that the animals were dewormed and tagged.
What They Said:
The President of Nkambe Active Youths Small Ruminants Simplified Cooperative, Bawe Vincent Ngala expressed gratitude to MIDENO and LIFIDEP for the timely support which he said will go a long way to improve on the welfare of members, provide quality meat to the public and instill modern techniques of breeding. He told the Bamenda delegation that their cooperative seeks to valorize the goat/sheep value chain from production to marketing and processing. "We have received 15 new applications from people who want to join our cooperative", he emphasized hoping the LIFIDEP will provide a second support while waiting for those who have just been handed animals to multiple before passing on to others.
The President of Misaje Small Ruminants Simplified Cooperative, Ali Tukur said that the support will go a long way to change lives in communities. While acknowledging the efforts by MIDENO to alleviate poverty in the North West Region, he used the opportunity to channel greetings to the management of LIFIDEP for the support in animals and infrastructure. "We are so glad and I can't express my joy in words", he concluded.
Habu Ashiatu, President of Salama Women in Nkambe, said that Pass On the Gift programme is the first of it's kind that women have been given sheep/goats. She promised that they will use the support for the purpose intended. "We will make sure that when next you visit us, the number of animals will tripple", she added. Mami Ashiatou also used the opportunity to pour praises on the Divisional Focal Point for always giving them advise and training them on sheep/goat management.
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