A Sector worth Upholding

The ravaging effects of the COVID-19 have incidentally brought back the dark experiences of the 2016 avian flu epizooty. Whereas the flu resulted into the administration inadvertently taking very undesirable measures including the complete ban on the sale of chicken in Bafoussam, and the whole of Mifi and Koung-khi Divisions, where two outbreaks of avian flu were diagnosed, the case of the COVID-19 seems to be different. There hasn’t been any direct ban on the sale of the precious birds but the impact remains telling. The barrier measures taken to contain the pandemic are having a toll on the poultry sector known to account for 4 % of Cameroon's GDP. It equally plays an important role for both food security and employment. It provides income opportunities for urban and rural populations and with a share of 42 % of the total meat/poultry production.  Recent studies by experts in the poultry sector already indicate a loss of over seven billion FCFA since the outbreak of the disease in Cameroon.  As stated by the President of the “Interprofession avicole du Cameroun (Ipavic)”, Francois Djonou, “The poultry industry has been seriously impacted by the coronavirus. At the start of the confinement, many chicks were destroyed, the price of eggs fell drastically, veterinary drugs were no longer sold…”

For such a sector as important as the poultry farming to be affected by the pandemic leaves no one indifferent. This explains the urgency for stakeholders to readjust their belts and take measures that could inevitably save the sector from collapse. The situation is so serious defying any questions that could be raised especially if they instead contribute in pulling back initiatives. The poultry sector remains an important sector in the country's economy and one which has successfully boosted the private sector creating enormous employment. This factor must be taken into consideration. This is where the real challenge is. Poultry farmers have for several years frowned at the administration for not doing much to boost their activities. This led to measures such as; the &nb...