Wampar cattlemen want out on deal

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Source:

The National- Thursday, February 10, 2011

 By PISAI GUMAR

THE Wampar Cattlemen’s Association (WCA) in Leron plains, Huon Gulf in Morobe, has hit back at Coastal Solutions Management (CSM) Ltd and threatened to back out of its public private partnership agreement.

Zifasing and Tararan farmers claimed that the memorandum of agreement signed between 10 farmers and Huon Gulf MP and Health and HIV/AIDS Minister Sasa Zibe at Ganef village last October was not recognised by the government.

But Zibe said there would be no backing out.

The WCA said that livestock development corporation (LDC) should lead the programme. 

“CSM  was tasked to oversee and manage the breeding and distribution programme and had  pushed its way through,” they said yesterday.

 The farmers said WCA was a registered group and took care of the state’s cattle. 

They added that they had discussed the issue with current agriculture minister Ano Pala and chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc expressing their desire to work with LDC.

“We could not work collectively under the PPP and urged LDC,” they said.

They said the LDC had spent K30 million; K10 million to purchase the cattle and K20 million for properties that they could not specify.

However, “all signatories to the MoA are currently involved in illegal slaughtering and selling of state cattle,” the spokesman said.

WCA also claimed K5 per herd per day from PPP for “adjustment payment” for grass, materials and land used for grazing the state cattle. 

They also claimed K26,000 for damages by cattle from the Bampurompom ranch to food gardens at Kokok village. 

Meanwhile, Zibe yesterday stepped in, assuring that all would go ahead.