Last September 12th and 15th, 2009 were noisy in all seven divisions of the North West with staff of the Regional delegation of Livestock, Animal breeding and industries busy distributing some day old chicks to poultry farmers within the Grassfield project poverty alleviation project.

In effect; the exercise which started on September 12 served 5500 day old chicks in Ngoketunjia, 3700 in Boyo and 11.000 in Mezam divisions. Day two took another 20.000 chicks to Menchum, Bui, Donga Mantung and Momo for a total 40.000.

The Regional Delegate of MINEPIA, Dr Agharih Walters who supervised the exercise told the press that the initiative was inspired by the government's commitment to to alleviate poverty by providing proteins of animal origin at affordable prices to farmers with the Grassfield participatory and Decentralized rural development project ( GP DERUDEP), subsidizing the day old chicks ahead of the 2009 end of year feasts when demand is expected to be high. GP DERUDEP or better still, the Grassfield project has a mission to reduce poverty in the North West by 10% by 2010

Project Agronomist, Forbuzo Benjamin Chefor recalls that the six year project documents has provision to distribute 305.000 day old chicks to farmers by the time the project span ends in 2010. Barely a year to expiration, Forbuzo reveals that farmers have already been served about 214.000 with the next consignment of 20.000 day old chicks expected to be available by October, 2009. Before weekend's distribution farmers last received 25.000 day old chicks in March 2009. In all, the chicks are offered to farmers at cfa 300 each, down from the cfa 550 market price. Money generated from the exercise goes into a revolving fund for poultry farmers to ensure the availability of day old chicks all year round.