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At New Year Wishes ceremony: Livestock minister unveils roadmap for 2025.

by Chi Emeh
31 Jan 2025 18:52
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Minister Taiga receiving bouquet of flowers from staff

The Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, Dr Taïga, has unveiled the roadmap for the ministry for 2025. Dr Taïga revealed the roadmap during the New Year wishes ceremony organised in his honour in Yaounde on Friday, January 24.
Speaking during the ceremony, the member of government stated that satisfying consumer demand for fish is the top priority for the ministry in the year 2025.

“I solemnly declare that at the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, 2025 is the year of import-substitution through the intensification of local fish production,” Dr Taïga stated.

He added that for the ministry, the choice is justified by the fact that the fish, milk and meat sectors are among the priority sectors that agro-industrial development should exploit.

“The SND30 states that all priority sectors will be the subject of specific medium- and long-term development plans, aimed at increasing their production, strengthening their competitiveness and developing downstream value chains, in particular by setting up processing industries,” he added.

Stating the priority sectors, he disclosed that “the ministry’s ambition is focusing on four areas which include intensifying local fish production, substantial increase in animal production, limiting imports, and strengthening surveillance and control of fishing activities, and promoting aquaculture”.

With specific reference to the animal production and industry development programme, Dr Taïga explained that the ministry’s aim is to ensure a substantial increase in animal production, in order to guarantee food security for the population.

The member of government also disclosed that the reason for this priority sector is to process surplus products and by-products with a view to marketing them, thereby creating jobs and boosting producers' incomes in order to meet the challenges of 2025.

Urging his staff on their synergy of action, Dr Taiga said the ministry needs to encourage public-private partnerships to work in close collaboration with potential investors, in order to produce both qualitatively and quantitatively outcome.

He said “in this new year 2025, I therefore invite you to redouble your efforts and focus on the collective interest to achieve the objectives we have set ourselves, and work in close collaboration with all investors and potential investors”.

The event ended with the revealing of the Ministry’s budget for 2025, which is set at 54.28 billion FCFA with focus to boost local production.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3353 of Wednesday January 29, 2025