Powered by IFAD

Cattle of the Sudanese Hamerenya breed have some special qualities, including docility and a high milk yield. Through an IFAD-supported programme, farmers in the Adi Quala subdistrict in Eritrea were able to take out small loans to invest in the purchase of Hamerenya cattle. The programme also helps the farmers manage the livestock effectively, safeguarding their investment.

Eritrean pastoralists in Adi Quala and three other subdistricts are reaping the benefits of raising a special breed of cattle imported from neighbouring Sudan. During its first year of implementation, the IFAD-funded Project and Post-crisis Rural Recovery and Development Programme (PCRRDP) distributed 113 cattle of the Sudanese Hamerenya breed to small-scale farmers in the four subdistricts. The objective of the programme is to improve the livelihoods and enhance the food security of poor Eritrean farmers.

Photo credit: Roxanna Samii Sudanese Hamerenya cow

"This breed of cattle is very special. First and foremost, it is docile. Secondly, it is resistant to disease. Thirdly, the milk yield is above average. And lastly, cows can be milked during pregnancy," says Gbazghi Kefle, PCRRDP project coordinator.

In the Adi Quala households that have benefited from the distribution of this special breed, living conditions have improved dramatically, in terms of both income and nutrition. The breed produces twice as much milk as local breeds. As a result, farmers produce more than enough for their household consumption, ensuring an adequate level of protein and calcium intake for their families, and they can sell the surplus. 

Because the milk collection centre in the Debub region is distant, the farmers of Adi Quala cannot benefit from the cooperative's services. But they have created an informal trading network and are selling an average of 3 litres of milk per day to private consumers, restaurants and tea houses for 10 to 12 nakfa per litre. Some farmers are also making butter and selling it for 250 nakfa per kg.

The Hamerenya breed is highly resilient, but this does not mean that there is no need for good animal management. The PCRRDP provides support to the pastoralists to help them manage their livestock in the best possible way.

"We have sensitized the farmers to the need for good animal management if they wish to maintain their current levels of income," says Kefle. "We encourage farmers to save and to use their savings not only to repay the loans for the cattle, but also to finance vaccinations and other activities related to animal management."

Photo credit: Roxanna Samii

"As part of the animal management scheme, a veterinarian visits the farmers on a monthly basis. And the Adi Quala pastoralists are lucky enough to be able to avail themselves of a veterinary centre, just 30 minutes away from their respective farms," Kefle explains.

To safeguard their investment and to increase their income opportunities, the farmers have willingly adopted good animal management. They vaccinate the animals regularly and have started to produce good feed such as alfalfa in their plots.

"The farmers are keen to manage their livestock well, especially their Hamerenya cattle, because the breed is a good source of income and they need to repay their loans," explains Kefle. "The farmers have two options for repaying the loans. They can either repay the loans in cash over a period of six years, or repay them in kind over four years, with a pregnant heifer."

Photo credit: Roxanna Samii Hamerenya cow grazing

Farmers and pastoralists in Adi Quala are aware that the livestock sector plays a crucial role in Eritrea’s rural economy. They know that productive and healthy cattle and other livestock are their most important capital assets and a viable form of insurance in time of crisis. That is why they have fully embraced good animal management and are promoting livestock ownership and striving to increase production. Having learned of the success of the Debub milk collection centre, they are keen to replicate the cooperative's model in their own subdistricts.

"In the coming years, with support from the PCRRDP, the Ministry of Agriculture will provide further capacity-building to the farmers so they can meet their objectives and fulfil their vision," says Abla Benhammouche, IFAD country programme manager for Eritrea.

Source: IFAD