Abstract:
This study examines the cattle industry in the N.W. Province of Cameroon and as an important variable in the country's development equation. It is an industry dominated by the Mbororo Fulani with only a small proportion of the local people involved. The Ministry of Animal Breeding, Livestock, Fisheries and Industries with the support of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as Heifer Project International (HPI) has been concerned with the upgrading of the sector. Other than the contribution of the cattle industry to the economic growth of the province, government efforts have been focused on balancing the protein requirements of its citizenry to achieve an acceptable human growth level. In this vein, the Cameroon government has been interested in technological innovations in order to improve on the cattle sector quantitatively and qualitatively. This has been a good idea but inadequate consideration has been given to the administrative and organizational mechanism required to implement intended innovations. This study recuperates the unsung history of the cattle industy and accords its proper place in the econemic development of the province. Important aspects as cattle rearing systems, modern Western approaches to disease control, ethnobotanical enquiries including the cillection of plants used in both veterinary and human medicine are brought into focus. Relying on fieldwork data derived from oral interviews and written data elicited from MINEPIA and other stakeholders in the cattle sector, the study evaluates the impact of the innovations made in the sector and on the economy and society of the N.W. Province. The result has been increased cattle numbers and productivity. Also, cattle has been a source of income and a nutritional product. In spite of the gains, the cattle industry faced problems such as farmer grazier conflicts, Fulani conservatism and lack of funds amongst others. Based on available data from the field, the work presents suggestions on how government and intervening agents could better organize themselves in order to foster sustainable development in the sector.
