Official Inauguration of the Construction of Xaaxi Water Diversion Weir for Fodder
30 October 2022
Today, the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Development inaugurated the construction of a water diversion weir on the Xaaxi riverine. Increasing fodder production in Xaaxi is one of the activities under the SDF-funded Strengthening Animal Production and Health Services Project for the Togdheer region, Somaliland. The water diversion weir is a significant part of the project to improve fodder production in the area.
The water diversion weir works by increasing the amount of water available for fodder production and other agricultural activities. Once completed, the project will have put up to 400 hectares of land under fodder production benefiting Xaaxi fodder producers. The project will also support farmers in marketing fodder for income generation. The availability of more and better-quality fodder will ultimately lead to increased livestock productivity.
The Xaaxi initiative will receive support through extension services delivered by the Aroori Livestock Center of Excellence (LCE). The LCE will establish demonstration plots in Xaaxi area where pastoralist field schools will be conducted. Target producers will be divided into small groups and will be given training on land preparation, farming practices, harvesting, hay making, storage, and seed production and bulking. The farmer groups will also get support to improve their access to potential markets for their fodder crop.
Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Development, H.E. Saeed Sulub Mohamed, stated that” Xaaxi has excellent fertile soil. Because my ministry is in charge of livestock development, I believe this is the best location to produce animal feed so that we won’t need to import feed from outside the country anymore”. The Minister also added that "SDF is the best development partnership programme because it is locally-led, planned and implemented. We are grateful to the countries that support the SDF."
The governor of the region, Mr Mohamed Dirie Hayd, who also spoke at the kick-off, praised the weir construction initiative, saying “We are very happy that the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development is implementing the biggest livestock project in our region. We are grateful that the Somaliland Development Fund is once again funding this significant project that will greatly benefit the people of Xaaxi as well as the lives of the livestock in the Togdheer region”.
Construction of the water diversion weir and providing support in Xaaxi to put an additional 400 hectares of land under fodder production is one of the activities under the Strengthening Animal Production and Health Services Project funded by Somaliland Development Fund Phase 2 (SDF2). The project is implemented by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development (MoLFD).