Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Nov 3, 2013 20:45:36 GMT 1
In order to increase protein production in the South West Region, the Ekona Research Centre, IRAD, in collaboration with the RUMPI project has trained close to 102 farmers in cane rat production, assisting some 20 of them start up farms.During the training, though only 20 farmers were invited, 52 farmers turned up at the Presby-terian Church Centre in Kumba.
According to Dr Kingsley Etchu, Head of animal production in IRAD Ekona, provision was made for only the 20 farmers from Manyu, Kupe Muanengumba and parts of Muyuka that received 4 cane rats each, a transportation cage and a catcher. The rest of the 32, he said could only benefit from the training. After revealing to TFV that the second training is programmed for the rest of the divisions in the months ahead, Dr Etchu said the program is expected to alleviate poverty by increasing alternatives for average families to earn more income and also to provide another alternative to protein supply to the population.
“Grass cutters are not coming to replace other sources of proteins, they are coming to add to other sources like fowls, pigs etc, so adding grass cutters will now diversify the sources of proteins to the population”, the researcher told TFV.
To him, the farmers who benefited from the support are required to give two grass cutters when the parent stock give birth back to the program probably in ten months when most of them are expected to have reproduced for the other farmers who are interested to benefit.
Recently, many farmers in the region have showed interest in the cane rat production that started a few years ago with CERUT as the main furnisher and training in order to vulgarize the production of this costly source of protein that is getting extinct in the wild.
Speaking to TFV, some farmers who benefited expressed satisfaction that the sector was being supported; expressing optimism that with just forage, a little concentrates, they could rear cane rats and sell for close to 20000 francs each given the high demand for live cane rats By BDS.
Source: www.thefarmersvoice.org/uk/developement-news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1263288267&archive=&start_from=&ucat=16&
According to Dr Kingsley Etchu, Head of animal production in IRAD Ekona, provision was made for only the 20 farmers from Manyu, Kupe Muanengumba and parts of Muyuka that received 4 cane rats each, a transportation cage and a catcher. The rest of the 32, he said could only benefit from the training. After revealing to TFV that the second training is programmed for the rest of the divisions in the months ahead, Dr Etchu said the program is expected to alleviate poverty by increasing alternatives for average families to earn more income and also to provide another alternative to protein supply to the population.
“Grass cutters are not coming to replace other sources of proteins, they are coming to add to other sources like fowls, pigs etc, so adding grass cutters will now diversify the sources of proteins to the population”, the researcher told TFV.
To him, the farmers who benefited from the support are required to give two grass cutters when the parent stock give birth back to the program probably in ten months when most of them are expected to have reproduced for the other farmers who are interested to benefit.
Recently, many farmers in the region have showed interest in the cane rat production that started a few years ago with CERUT as the main furnisher and training in order to vulgarize the production of this costly source of protein that is getting extinct in the wild.
Speaking to TFV, some farmers who benefited expressed satisfaction that the sector was being supported; expressing optimism that with just forage, a little concentrates, they could rear cane rats and sell for close to 20000 francs each given the high demand for live cane rats By BDS.
Source: www.thefarmersvoice.org/uk/developement-news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1263288267&archive=&start_from=&ucat=16&