Maravi

US$14.8m set aside for livestock, says Ngwenya

US$14.8m set aside for livestock, says Ngwenya
By Fridah Zinyama
Thursday May 22, 2008 [04:00]

COMMON Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) acting secretary general Sindiso Ngwenya has said the USAID/ East Africa under the CAADP programme has set aside US$ 14.8 million for livestock development in the region. And the government has urged experts in the livestock and pastoral sector to advise governments in the COMESA region on how best to develop the sector which is considered to have the largest population of cattle on the African continent.

During the COMESA regional livestock and pastoralism forum held at Pamodzi Hotel yesterday, Ngwenya said given that the COMESA region had the largest number of livestock on the continent - 345 million cattle - the sub-sector was an important contributor to incomes and economic growth.

“COMESA is fully aware of the important role of the livestock sector and pastoral communities play in contributing to food security and incomes of our rural sector,” he said.

Ngwenya said in that regard, COMESA had made sure that issues of trade, production and productivity, as well as the welfare of pastoral communities were attended to under the Food and Nutrition Security pillar of Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP).

“We would like to ensure that member countries take the issue of livestock development seriously, as we consider agriculture a sure way of reducing poverty on the continent,” he said.

Ngwenya said COMESA would also ensure that member countries came up with long term livestock development programmes at the regional level, improving sector policies, increasing regional and extra regional trade.

Labels: CATTLE, COMESA

posted by MrK @ 3:45 AM