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Cameroon: Mbororo Graziers Drilled On Animal Care, Pasture Improvement Techniques
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The Post (Buea)
21 February 2008
Posted to the web 21 February 2008
Chris Mbunwe
Buea
Given the fact that the system of Mbororo animal husbandry adversely affects biodiversity and supports disease prevalence, the UNDP with Partnership in Development of Cameroon, PADEV, recently drilled the graziers at a two-day workshop in Tubah, Northwest Province.
The focus of the workshop was on basic animal care and biodiversity conservation through cultivation of medicinal plants otherwise known as ethnovet. Speaking at the Tubah Council Hall, the Project Coordinator of the training programme, Frederick Budi Tumenta, said animals, especially cows, are in trouble because natural local herbs that were used in treating animals are almost extinct today.
As such there is the need to reconstitute the bits and pieces that are still left for sustainability. The workshop, he went on, has social cultural and economic benefits to the graziers, because the quantity of the grass produced by these natural pastures has over the years been subject to constant deterioration.
Reasons why the graziers must see the need to improve their pastures and reduce, if not stop, transhumance as it is always a source of conflict between croppers and herders in the low lands regions.
The field representative of the National Coordinator of Global Environment Fund GEF, Idi Tamnjong of GPDERUDEP- Northwest Grass field Project, reiterated the importance of the success of this project to the Mbororo community. He encouraged the active participation of all and sundry because the project will run for two years.
"Our greatest wish is to see improved pastures, which will lead to increase in the number of cows per Mbororo household- hence a better living standard and poverty eradication within their spheres of operations."
The Mayor of Tubah Council, Stanislus Sofa, said reviving ethnovets practices to save the cattle from the harshness of climate change is most welcome because the population is fast increasing but the grazing land remains static. Mayor Sofa said he was particularly touched with the massive attendance of Mbororo women graziers, which to him is a sign of emancipation.
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Being the first of its kind in the province, participants at the close of the workshop appreciated the initiative of PADEV, requesting for more of such seminars when schools are on vacation to enable their children who were in school also benefit from the knowledge acquired.
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