Swiss aid for farming sector

Switzerland is to help Niger improve its livestock farming sector under a US $1.3-million agreement between the two countries, the bureau chief for Swiss Cooperation in Niger, Kuno Schlaefli, told IRIN on Tuesday. The credit will cover three years of activities under the second phase of the Projet d’appui au secteur d’elevage (PASEL - Livestock Sector Support Project).

A main objective of this phase of the project is to build designated passageways to ease the transport of livestock. This is important because it would reduce communal conflict, which sometimes breaks out because herds destroy farms as they move around the country.

Lack of land and natural resources in Niger has forced populations to farm on land on which cattle used to graze. Increasing production of hay and other products constitutes a second objective of the phase, which began last year.

The PASEL project has been in place for about five years, Schlaefli said, adding that it has been well received by the farming communities. About 1,000 km of livestock corridor have been built since the project began, and more than 100 farmers have received training in haymaking and related activities.