The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture has expressed delight at PROGEBE’s achievements during the last couple of years.
Mr. Alfu Marong recently made these remarks at a meeting held at Kiang Keneba at the end of two-day field visits in Jareng, Bamba Kolong, Kerr Omar Daho, Kudang and Kiang Keneba.
He said The Gambia is a small country with a big heart, and that people are impressed with the timely intervention of the project in the livestock sector.
He said the objective cannot be realised in the absence of livestock farming which also contributes to the achievement of household food security.
PS Marong said the partnership and collaboration between ITC and PROGEBE Gambia project at the project intervention sites is essential.
At Keneba Station, Lamin .K. Darboe, senior livestock assistant at the ITC breeding programme said there is a pure and control breeding of Ndama cattle/genetic improvement programme, thanks to PROGEBE support to strengthening the programme.
He said there are 337 cattle (bulls and cows) at the station, all of them, he said, are being taken care of by herdsmen appointed by the ITC. “We also observed daily heat/mating detection, where we facilitate cows to mate with bulls in their stable,” he said.
Darboe revealed that there is a herd health programme for the treatment, vaccination, de-worming, spraying against ecto parasites, among others.
Dr. Nfamara Sanyang, PROGEBE Gambia Project Coordinator hailed the committee for taking their time to see for themselves.
“I think the objectives are met and we have signed partnership and protocol and in the event the project phase out our partners will continue with the project,” he concluded.