Sustainable Management of Endemic Ruminant Livestock in
Speaking at the ceremony, Nerry Corr Kiang West site coordinator, said prior to the intervention of the project, there has been a series of consultation meetings with the local communities across the region, to ascertain which of the communities are badly in need of help.
“Today, we are here witnessing the official handing over of five wells and a borehole to the communities of Bajana, Bateling, Jali, Manduwarr, Missira, Taborangkoto, Brikamanding, Jammaru, Koli kunda and Kantong kunda providing accessible clean drinking water for about 5, 000 cattle out of 10, 716 cattle in the area,” he added.
During the consultation meetings, the communities highlighted three factors affecting their livestock at community level; key among them was clean drinkable water for livestock. “Here, we are today witnessing the official handing over of the completed projects to the beneficiary communities,” he said.
For his part, Dr. Famara Sanyang, PROGEBE Gambia national project coordinator, hailed the consultant and contractor for a job well-done, adding that the project is under the Ministry of Agriculture.
He disclosed that the aim of the project is to preserve and strengthen the genetic characteristics of the indigenous/ endemic ruminant livestock (Ndamamcattle, Djallonke sheep and West African Dwarf Goats) on sustainable basis, increase their productivity, improve marketing in favourable institutional environment for the purpose of improving livelihoods and reduce poverty within livestock based farming families.
Dr. Mustapha Jaw, PROGEBE regional coordinator, who commended the consultant and the contractor for not only the timely completion of the contract as agreed but also quality works, said he is proud of PROGEBE Gambia project. As he puts it, Gambia PROGEBE has achieved so much.
Dr. Jaw, who thanked the beneficiaries for their cooperation, advised the communities to come up with strategies in sustaining the projects to ensure that it serves its intended purpose fin protecting the livestock within the intervention area, and for the benifit of the people as well.
Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Sheriffo Bojang, stated that the project objectives are in line with government policy to reduce poverty, strengthen food security as envisaged in the PAGE and Vision 2020, GNAIP, among others.
Mr. Reynold Carrol, the consultant, expressed happiness to the contractors for the timely completion of the projects.
Fa-Kebba Bajah of the Water Management Committee hailed PROGEBE Gambia for their intervention in the livestock area.
Other speakers included, Hon. Yaya Dibba, the National Assembly Member for Kiang West, Dr. Kebba Daffeh, Deputy Director of Livestock.
