Pala: Animal breeding no easy job

By ANCILLA WRAKUALE
BREEDING farm animals such as beef cattle involves a lot of hard work, specialised skills and good business leadership, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Ano Pala said.
Pala said this at the signing of memorandum of agreement (MoA) for beef cattle breeder farm programme between Coastal Solutions Ltd (CSL) and Livestock Development Corporation Ltd (LDCL).
Pala was proud that the programme was run by nationals and thanked CSL managing director Ross Seymour and his wife Mary for the partnership that would pave way to move the industry foreword.
The objective of the programme is to distribute the stock to strategic locations throughout the country for continuous breeding and multiplication.
Under this programme, 50% kept by the farmer belonged to LDC and the other half belonged to the farmer in lieu of management and agistment of the stock.
The programme allows CSL access to the farms for inspection and monitoring.
Chairman of LDC board Boniwan Polume said LDC purchased 7,500 herds of cattle from the Markham Farm in 2008.
The company shipped 3,600 to Koitaki Plantation Ltd at Sogeri Plateau, Central.
The balance of stock numbering 4,857 remained in the Markham Valley in smallholder farms under the beef cattle breeder programme where CSL is the programme manager.
 “This MoA between CSL and LDC not only recognises CSL as the programme manager but accept sand recognises CSL as a strategic private partner for the growth and expansion of beef cattle sub-sector in the country,” Polume said.
Managing director of CSL Ross Seymour said cattle farming was not an easy task and was looking forward to build a viable working relationship with relevant parties.
Seymour also thanked the Huon Gulf MP and Health Minister Sasa Zibe for making this possible for farmers in Markham valley.