A win/win partnership

SODEPA signs a convention with FASA

Dschang/UDs/SIC-16/07/2021 .The Council Conference hall on the 15^th July 2021 witnessed the signing of a framework agreement and specific convention between the Live Stock development Corporation SODEPA better known in French as Societe de developpement et d’Exploitation des production Animales and the University of Dschang particularly with the Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, FASA. The Director General of SODEPA –KOULAGNA Denis, and his delegation were received by members of the Chancellery board during their usual Chancellery Board meeting. Created   by decree N0 74/182 of 8^th March 1974 and modified by decree N0 81/395 of 9^th September 1981, SODEPA with its main vision, to contribute to the promotion of a modern hybrid that will guarantee growth, employment and sufficiency in animal protein come 2035. In essence, the objective is to ensure animal production and its produce in their diverse forms not just in quantity but in quality, in a bid to contribute in socio economic development at local, national and regional levels. Thus SODEPA and FASA through the partnership will mutualize their efforts in the domain of Agronomy in general and the animal production in particular. During the ceremony SODEPA, the Director stated that this joint effort aims to facilitate research and internships between these institutions, ensure a good technical and practical supervision of students, reinforce the activities of FASA through their participation in training at their research centers, elaborate and ensure a joint effort towards research particularly in the domain of animal production and finally the exchange of technological know-how in the agro pastoral domain. Talking about the right choice of partnership by SODEPA with the University of Dschang, the Vice chancellor mentioned that the University of Dschang is all over the National territory, which is in at least 8 out of the 10 regions in Cameroon and also in Gabon. It is a University with an entrepreneurial vision which today is a participant in the production of animal hybrid with support from the Minister of Animal husbandry. This has helped not just the institution but also the students to be participants in aspects of decentralization. Signing a convention with an institution that upholds national ideals like the university of Dschang is not an act that calls for regrets because we are not based just on theory alone but practice as well and this step can only be boosted upon with professionals from institutions like SODEPA with its powerful human resource if we work together to attain the desired goals, the VC emphasized. The convention on the partnership between the two institutions will ensure second generation agriculture not just for animals and animal produce but also handle issues of quantity, quality, and hybrid among others. Therefore the expertise of both institutions is solicited to ensure qualitative scientific results which are in themselves professional ideals, so in essence it’s a win/win partnership. This is because the University of Dschang gears towards professionalization which will be a dream come true with the expertise of professionals from SODEPA.

 In an interview granted to the press the Director General of SODEPA highlighted that the aim of the convention was in a bid to meet with the request of the Head of State that requires meat supply to the population at a low price and the issue of human resource to meet up with the demands is a cardinal point which can only be gotten from the University of Dschang.  Satisfied with the signing of the convention, the team from both institutions had a technical meeting where they brainstormed on the way forward. The third phases ended with a visit to the FASA laboratories and the experimental farm to witness the efforts that have been put in place so far. With both teams expressing satisfaction, the ceremony ended up with family pictures to immortalize the event./ L.D