Farming for Biodiversity

Tugi livestock farmers Cooperative

Dschang, Camerún
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An Overview Of Our Solution

Overgrazing has caused serious land degradation due to lack of vegetation cover. The actions of cattle and heavy rain have accelerated the erosion of the top soil leading to loss of soil fertility. These factors of soil erosion have played a negative role on the soil fertility thus resulting in the degradation of the natural pasture which is the most important resource of the Tugi people. The high stocking rate couple with the traditional communal grazing system have caused a lot of damages amongst which are: farmers-grazer conflicts and low productivity. These problems are the most serious and damaging production problems in Tugi village these days. The Farmers are therefore looking for sustainable ways of increasing their productivity to better their livelihoods.
Who is this solution impacting?
Community Type
Rural
Rural
Additional Information
  • Population Impacted:
  • Continent: Africa
General Information

Organization type

Cooperativa
Ecosystem (select all that apply)
Grasslands
Grasslands

Population impacted

≥6000
Challenge

Size of agricultural area

≥78ha

Production quantity

≥60 cows

People employed

≥20
Solution

Describe your solution

Extensive beef production had been sustaining livelihoods of the breeders, but now our days, it is no more possible because of demographic explosion which has increased to an alarming degree. Extensive communal cattle production was the most convenient agricultural practice of the Gutah Zone (hilly area), and has lead to over grazing, resulting in land degradation and loss of soil fertility and in agriculture is a loss of initial capital or resources. The Farmers are therefore looking for ways to increase their productivity to better their livelihoods. This can only be done if the communal grazing system couple with transhumance is modified. The cooperative has 78 hectares of pasture land which is under exploited and still lacks other cattle structures, like water and improved pasture and fodder banks. In 2012, it was granted some cattle structures (barbed wired paddocks, contention fences and a stock of cattle by the World Bank to some pilot farms of the cooperative. Presently (2016/2017), AU-IBAR also granted the cooperative $15 000.00 to conserve the indigenous Fulani Cattle of the region which are feared may extinct due to random crossbreeding and losses incurred during lake Nyos disaster which killed more than 15 000 Fulani cattle in Wum, North West Region of Cameroon in 1986. These cows are producing milk but the milk cannot be commercialised by the cooperative and individual farmers because of lack of a milk collection, preservation and transformation plant.
Implementation

Describe your implementation

Tugi which is a rural area has plenty of milk at a reasonable price but there is no market. A one 1 000 production/day dairy unit can be setup, to covert milk into powder, butter, cheese and marketing of liquid milk in bulk. This milk can be transported to dairy factories near urban areas (Mbengwi and Bamenda). A dairy unit of 1000 litres capacity, selling milk to urban consumers is profitable and a safe venture. Milk collection points shall be equipped with milk testing and measuring facilities to ensure milk of acceptable quantity and quality. It shall be transported in a factory vehicle, in 20 litres cans. In order to achieve its objectives the project has to construct and furnished, the following structures: • Dairy block, • Service Block • Ancillary Structures. 3.0: Construction and equipping of Dairy unit 3.1: Dairy Block 3.2: Service Block 3.3: Ancillary Structures 4.0: Costing of Dairy unit 4.1: Milk collection 4.2: Construction of bairy block 4.3: Roofing 4.4: Water supply 4.5: Electricity. 4.6: Dairy Equipments 4.7: Marketing and supply Equipment.

External connections

N/A
Results

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

Overgrazing,pasture degradation and loss of soil fertility is the main problems. Solutions to these problems are: diversification of cattle products and optimum valorisation of its products/by-products by practicing a sustainable agro-sylvo-pastoral system for a better livelihood. To achieve its objectives, the cooperative has created an integrated cattle farm for the production of beef and milk using indigenous dual purpose breeds (Fulani cattle). The cooperative is looking for funds to setup a village dairy farm where milk and beef will be produced from dual purpose cows (Fulani cattle) using a semi intensive system (semi zero grazing). The milk will be produced, chilled and transported in bulk to urban dairy factories in Mbengwi and Bamenda for sale or transform into other milk products. This project will create employment for youths in forage and milk production. It will also reduce the stocking rate and releasing pressure on the natural pasture.

Describe the context in which you are operating

Justification of the Project (Problems)
Tugi village like other villages of Cameroon has problems which are cause by demographic explosion. The animal population is increasing likewise the human population and this increase is very serious in Tugi and Gutah Zone in Mbengwi, North West Region of Cameroon. The village has a population of about 6 000 inhabitants of which about 75% live on animal breeding with cattle breeding being the backbone of its economy. The population is increasing while land surface remains constant but is rapidly degrading due to overgrazing. Overgrazing has caused serious land degradation due to lack of vegetation cover. The action of cattle and heavy rain has also accelerated the erosion of the top soil leading to loss of soil fertility. These factors of soil erosion play a negative role on the soil fertility thus resulting in the degradation of the natural pasture which is the most important resource of the Tugi people. The high stocking rate couple with the traditional communal grazing system have caused a lot of damages amongst which is farmers-grazer conflict. This problem is the most serious and damaging production problem in the village these days. The Tugi Livestock Farmers Cooperative is a nongovernmental organisation setup by the farmers and grazers to fine lasting solutions to overgrazing pasture degradation and farmers’-grazers’ conflicts for sustainable production in Tugi and Gutah zone in general

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

The milk will be produced, chilled and transported in bulk to urban dairy factories in Mbengwi and Bamenda for sale or transform into other milk products. This project will create employment for youths in forage and milk production. It will also reduce the stocking rate and releasing pressure on the natural pasture. Since the semi-zero grazing system reduces grazing periods, it will go a long way to release pressure on the pasture, preventing overgrazing and its resulting consequences. The sale of milk on a daily base and annual sale of heifers/steers will increase the income of grazers thereby improving their livelihoods. The general objective of the project is to increase the productivity of cattle in Tugi and Gutah Zone as a whole, while sustainably managing the pasture. Since beef production can no more and solely sustain the livelihood of the grazers, milk production and its transformation will be a way out of the low productivity. The genetic potential of the cattle in the Gutah Zone need to be changed or drafted towards dual purpose breeds (beef-milk breeds), to increase milk and beef production which will result in an increased income from improved calves, which will be fatten and sold as beef, in addition to the daily sales of milk and milk products, like powder milk, yogurt, cheese, butter and so on.

Language(s)

Which language(s) are spoken in the area where your solution is implemented?

Social/Community

The Dairy project will create more jobs in the village in forage production and milk production, transformation and marketing. The dairy project will also serve as a pilot farm for other farmer in the region and Cameroon to copy

Water

500 characters max.

Food Security/Nutrition

It will assure food security and balance diet for children who are suffering from mal nutrition. Milk is a richer source of animal protein for children than beef and available everyday at affordable prices.

Economic/Sustainable Development

A dairy unit of 1000 litres capacity, selling milk to urban consumers is profitable and a safe venture. Milk collection points shall be equipped with milk testing and measuring facilities to ensure milk of acceptable quantity and quality. It shall be transported in a factory vehicle, in 20 litres cans.

Climate

500 characters max.

Sustainability

The cooperative in 2011 was allocated 78 hectares of pasture land which is under exploited and still lacks other cattle structures, like water and improved pasture and fodder banks. In 2012, it was granted some cattle structures (barbed wired paddocks, contention fences and a stock of cattle by the World Bank to some pilot farms of the cooperative. Presently (2016/2017), AU-IBAR also granted the cooperative $15 000.00 to conserve the indigenous Fulani Cattle of the region which are feared may extinct due to random crossbreeding and losses incurred during lake Nyos disaster which killed more than 15 000 Fulani cattle in Wum, North West Region of Cameroon in 1986.

Return on investment

Estimatesy of production of 15 milking cows for 7 years in

Entrant Banner Image

3_0
Replication and Scale

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

In the early mid nineties, the Tadu Cooperative worked in close partnership with Land O’lakes and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop a quality/quantity milk production, collection, processing and marketing programme. She said the preliminary fruit of the teamwork include the thriving training of TDS members at O’lakes Inc. in artificial insemination techniques and consequently, the launching of a robust TDCS Cattle cross-breeding programme. The programme is said to have spread to some parts of the Bamenda highlands, Adamawa plateau and into the Mambila highlands of Nigeria. Tadu Dairy Women’s Group members also reaped from the O’lakes Inc. connections in proper milk procurement, storage and quality control practices.
Overview