Livestock Breeding and Rural Development in Cameroon

LIVESTOCK BREEDING AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT: For over the years Cattle ranching is perceived as one of the major economic activity that contributes in promoting development especially in rural areas. In Cameroon the growth and spread of this activity was facilitated through the implementation of government policies intended to improve the wellbeing of the people. The Ndokayo ranch which is the focus of this study was established by the Government of Cameroon through the creation of the Livestock Development Corporation (SODEPA) in 1974 by Presidential Decree No. 74/182 of 8th March 1974. This was intended to boost the quality and quantity of cattle production as well as to alleviate poverty through the provision of employment opportunities in the Ndokayo area. Thus the study focuses on the Ndokayo cattle ranch and its contribution in promoting the socio economic development within the study locale. In the light of the aforementioned discussions the study contends that the presence of the cattle ranch through its diverse activities played an important role in the development of the Ndokayo area.