At installation ceremony: Milk inter-professional board members urged to revive dairy sector.

The official was speaking recently in Ngaoundere, Adamawa Region, during a ceremony to officially install the board members in their various positions.

Speaking during the ceremony, Jaji Manu noted that their installation marks the beginning of an ambitious initiative that seeks to revamp the country’s milk production industry, which has long been lagging behind in terms of meeting domestic demand. 

While formally introducing a new executive board, led by Dr Hayatou El Hadji Soule, the representative of the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries, and Animal Industries, Dr Taïga, stated that the board members come at a time when milk production in Cameroon is struggling to keep pace with consumer needs, creating an over-reliance on imports.

The creation of the milk inter-professional board, he said, is a response to a critical need in the dairy sector: unifying the fragmented groups of milk producers, processors, and collectors across the country that previously lacked a coordinator, thus creating obstacles to growth and efficiency. 

The newly established inter-professional board, he said, aims to streamline these efforts, ensure that milk production is not only increased but also that it meets national quality standards.

Jaji Manu equally emphasised that the board’s mission is more urgent than ever, stating that “our goal is to ensure that every Cameroonian has access to quality milk and its dairy products”. 

The initiative, he said, is a collaborative effort supported by the German development agency, GIZ, the European Union, EU, and the Cameroonian government through the Programme d’accompagnement des mutations du bassin cotonnier du Cameroun, ABC Pader.

Announces gov’t’s financial support

Manu equally announced that the government has plans to invest close to 24 billion FCFA between 2025 and 2027 in the sector. 

This funding, he explained, will be divided into phases, with 700 million FCFA allocated for 2025, five billion FCFA for 2026, and 17 billion FCFA for 2027.

Part of this investment, he stated, will be used to import Montbeliarde cows, a breed known for its high milk yield, in a bid to replace local cows, which produce only two to three litres of milk daily. 

He explained that government plans to import Montbeliarde cows because the country’s current cow production capacity cannot meet the demand of the people.

The inter-professional board, Manu added, will have to manage these imports, along with production, as part of its broader mission to modernise the dairy sector. 

The goal, he said, is to achieve greater self-sufficiency, with Cameroon eventually exporting dairy products, instead of relying on imports.

“We need to reach a point where every Cameroonian has access to fresh, quality milk, much like in other developed nations,” he insisted.

Board president hails ambitious vision 

Speaking at the end of the ceremony, the President of OIP-Lait Cameroun, Dr Hayatou El Hadji Souley, echoed the optimism surrounding the new inter-professional board, noting that the board is determined to shift Cameroon from a milk-importing to a milk-exporting nation. 

“Our mission is not only to meet domestic needs for milk but to position Cameroon as a regional leader in dairy production,” he said.

The inter-professional board, he stated, will also focus on raising awareness among Cameroonian producers and encouraging greater investment in the dairy sector. 

Dr Hayatou explained that with proper structuring and efficient use of the allocated funds, the dairy sector could become a significant source of income for many, while contributing to the nation’s economic growth.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3227 of Thursday September 12, 2024