Mbu-Santa Feed Mill to Alleviate Poverty

"Tell President Paul Biya that the people of Mbu village are grateful for his great gift of an Industrial Feed Mill and the bypass through Mbu into metropolitan Bamenda." These words were pronounced by a leader of the Mbu Development and Cultural Association (MBUDCA), Fombe Patrick, and some Santa elite who saluted the magnanimity of government as the population filed out on June 28, 2014 to receive a giant Feed Mill from the visiting Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, Dr Taiga.

It was a day for Mbu when Minister Taiga told them that the gift was a demonstration of government's commitment to modernise livestock production. The Mill, according to him, was a response to reports that Mbu village produces a lot of animals. In short, Minister Taiga said the Mill was inspired by the 'One Man-One Pig' project of hope in Mbu. It was against this backdrop that he challenged the community to diversify and increase livestock production because it pays.

Farmers, represented by the Ntomfon Mixed Farming Group embraced the Mill and stated preparedness to maximise its use. Ntomfon Fru Jonathan, an elite of Santa Sub-division, traced the genesis of the 'Operation One Man-One Pig' project back to five years when he made available the first free gift of eight pigs to a few families to raise and handover their offspring or piglets to others as the way forward to encourage and generate collective wealth.

It was in the spirit of President Biya's vision which encourages the creation of income generating activities at the grassroots. Today, Mbu village sounds off with over 250 pigs to show from some 50 families, up from the initial eight when the project was launched.

It emerged from the event that those who doubted the project at birth are rushing to belong as speaker after speaker appealed to the visiting Minister for a generator to carry the industrial feed Mill in Mbu village where energy supply is epileptic. The Mill showcases the capacity to haul about four tonnes of feed per hour. North West Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique accompanied Minister Taiga to Mbu.