The challenge is to prepare for the 3rd wave of improved pig breeders that came in as part of the Livestock and Fish Farming Value Chain Development Project (Pdcvep). To this end, breeders, technicians and stakeholders in the pig industry met in Mbalmayo for an awareness workshop. This initiative, led by the African Development Bank in partnership with the Cameroonian government, aims to bring modern genetics to the pork sector to increase national productivity and structure the entire value chain.
This meeting, chaired by the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (Minepia), provided an opportunity to examine the tools necessary to ensure the success of the introduction of that livestock stock. Specifications, reception protocols and propagation plans: every aspect has been carefully considered so that the program takes place in the best conditions. The Porcine Interprofession in Cameroon (Interporcam) also contributed by remembering the importance of a unified and professional approach. The aim is to introduce these animals to selected pilot farms, experienced farms that will form the basis of a modern pig industry.
Among the seventy applicants, forty information farms were selected for their expertise and commitment to further investment in the sector. These farms, which are the main link in the pig breeding chain, are the first to welcome a herd of improved breeding stock and then spread these high quality genetics to other farms in the country. For Dr. Ondoua Zang, director of Production Development and Animal Industries at Minepia, the importance of this meeting lies in the need to “agree on the best way to welcome these animals and distribute them to the selected farms. “, he said. A safe and quality welcome is indeed essential to ensure that animals thrive in their new homes. This shared responsibility, as he emphasized, requires the active participation of all actors in the series.
The National Coordinator of Pdcvep, Dr. Aboubakar Njoya, expressed the intentions of the program to hold this workshop, as an indication of the government’s strong commitment to the modernization of the pork sector. “Our desire is to raise the standard of our sector through genetic improvement and prepare breeders to obtain better breeding stock,” he said. This third wave of breeding pigs will strengthen as part of the Livestock and Fish Farming Value Chain Development Project (Pdcvep ), funded by the ADB, the efficiency of the pork sector, with government stakeholders.
The project should allow Cameroonian breeders to reduce their costs, improve their output, and, above all, contribute to national food security. Improved pigs will be able to better meet market expectations and, ultimately, contribute to sustainable socio-economic development for the rural communities involved. According to experts in the pork sector, Cameroon produces around 30,000 tons of pork every year, while demand stands at 50,000 tons, creating an annual deficit of 20,000 tons. The Agricultural Competitive Development Project (PACA) estimates the value of the national pork market at 55 billion FCFA.
