19.1 Background
19.2 Livestock numbers and distribution
19.3 Cattle
19.4 Sheep and goats
19.5 Research and development activities
19.6 Selected bibliography
19.7 Major changes since 1977
Equatorial Guinea was not included in Volumes I and II of the original FAO/ILCA/UNDP study. Detailed general background information concerning this country is, therefore, given below.
The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is partly situated on mainland West Africa, and partly on Bioko, Annobon, Corisco, Elobey Grande and Elobey Chico islands, in the Gulf of Guinea, off the West African coast.
Mainland Equatorial Guinea, formerly known as Rio Muni, is bounded on the North by Cameroon and On the South by Gabon.
The country comprises seven provinces and 18 districts. The capital, Malabo, is situated on Bioko island.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development comprises three Directorates: a Directorate of Agriculture, a Directorate of Livestock and a Directorate of Agricultural Extension Service (SEA). The latter is responsible for 12 offices throughout the country, each consisting of three departments: Animal Health and Production, Agricultural Extension and Domestic Economy.
Background data for the country are given in Table 1. Equatorial Guinea has a typical tropical climate influenced by the south-west monsoon winds and the warm waters of the Gulf of Guinea.
Bioko island experiences two seasons: a dry season between November and April and a rainy season between April and October. There are four seasons on the mainland: a dry season lasting from June to August, a rainy season between September and November, a short dry season between December and March and a short rainy season in April-May. The climate is generally extremely humid (relative humidity is between 80 and 95%). Average rainfall is between 2000 and 2500 mm and mean temperature 26°C depending on the altitude.
Mainland Equatorial Guinea is relatively mountainous with altitude increasing from the coast to the hinterland. The coastline plain is 20 km wide and borders on several mountain ranges (Siete hills 600 m, Mounts Mitra and Biyemeyeme 1200 m, Sierra de Cristal 1200 m, Mounts Chocolate and Alen 1200 m), interspersed with peneplains usable for livestock production.
Bioko island is of volcanic origin. Its peak is 3007 m above sea level. It harbours a wide plain of about 15 000 ha (Moka Valley) located at an altitude of between 1200 and 1500 m. The OAU tsetse distribution map published by Ford and Katondo (1976) shows that the entire country, including Bioko island, is infested by G. palpalis. The fusca group is allegedly confined to the mainland. Infestation rate varies with altitude and plains such as Moka Plain in Bioko Island are considered tsetse-free.
Table 1. Background data on Equatorial Guinea.
|
Total area distributed |
28 051.5 km | |||
|
of which: |
mainland |
|
26 000 km² | |
|
|
Bioko island |
|
2 017 km² | |
|
|
Annobon island |
|
17 km² | |
|
|
Corisco island |
|
15 km² | |
|
|
Elobey Grande island |
|
2.3 km² | |
|
|
Elobey Chico island |
|
0.2 km² | |
|
Latitude |
3°48'N - 1°27'S |
mainland and islands |
| |
|
Longitude |
5°37'E - 11°19'E |
mainland and islands |
| |
|
Human population (1983) | ||||
|
|
- number |
300 060 in habitants |
|
|
|
|
- density |
10/km² |
|
|
|
Animal population (1983) | ||||
|
|
- cattle |
320 |
|
|
|
|
- sheep |
5 000 |
|
|
|
|
- goats |
20 000 |
|
|
Source: For human population, provisional figures for 1983 pre-census; for animal population, FAO (1985).
Estimates of livestock numbers by species and region are given in Table 2.
Table 2. Livestock distribution by species, 1983.
|
|
Cattle |
Sheep |
Goats |
|
Bioko |
220 |
1 000 |
5 000 |
|
Continent |
100 |
4 000 |
15 000 |
|
Total |
320 |
5 000 |
20 000 |
Source: FAO data (1985), revised by experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and Rural Development (Ministère de l'agriculture, de l'élevage et du développement rural), 1985.
Thus, village smallholders possess very few ruminants. In comparison, the population of short-growth-cycle animals is large. Average herd composition in Niefang District on the mainland is given as an example in Table 3.
Table 3. Herd composition in Niefang District.
|
|
% of farms with animals |
Number of head/farm with species |
Number of head for 1000 farms in district |
|
Cattle |
- |
- |
- |
|
Sheep |
15 |
1.6 |
240 |
|
Goats |
39 |
3.1 |
1209 |
|
Pigs |
21 |
3.9 |
819 |
|
Chickens |
63 |
7.8 |
4914 |
|
Ducks |
39 |
2.7 |
1053 |
Source: BDPA (1983) quoted by Hoste (1985).
There is an estimated 100 head of trypanotolerant cattle in Equatorial Guinea.
The 207 head counted on Bioko island in 1983 in high altitude Moka valley are all owned by a single company. The herd consists of European breeds and comprises 69 Charolais, 113 Andalusian and 25 crossbreds.
Weight of 4-year-old males is 400 kg for Charolais, 360 kg for crossbreds and 300 kg for Andalusian Retinto.
Cattle on the mainland consists of the Savannah Shorthorn breed from Cameroon. Average adult weight is between 200 and 230 kg. No data is available on production parameters for this breed. The private producer with a herd of about 40 head near BATA reported the presence in his herd of two Shorthorn x Jersey cows whose origins could not be traced back. No study on diseases has been carried out and the few existing herds are maintained under a highly traditional management system (FAO, 1985).
Sheep and goats on both the island and mainland are all of the West African Dwarf breeds. Surveys on the production parameters of these breeds are under way (GTZ project).
As is the case with cattle, there is little information on the disease status of small ruminants. The management system is mainly traditional, i.e. animals are allowed to graze freely except during the farming season.
Research and development activities focus mainly on agriculture in an effort to boost cocoa and coffee exports and increase food production in the rural areas. The few existing research stations and farms are mainly concerned with poultry and pig production. A United Nations project to develop rabbit production is also being implemented.
Some of these centres were formerly involved with small ruminants and still maintain a few head. The main ones are:
- Evinanyong Station (125 ha and 30 goats)- Musola Research Centre (on Bioko island) which still has 12 head of cattle and about 20 head of small ruminants
- The Aconibé complex of 30 ha which currently maintains only a few small ruminants but previously had some cattle
- Mongomo complex which maintains some goats
- Bata Nfunga Station which maintains some goats
The private project in Moka Valley on Bioko island which has great potential for expansion and in collaboration with which the government intends to launch a national cattle production project, is not included in this list.
The only current effort in the field of small ruminant production is a goat's milk production project on Bioko island, launched with German cooperation assistance (GTZ). The project covers two aspects. The first deals with surveys on various production parameters which will be conducted under village conditions. The second will focus mainly on the milk production and technological aspects on stations.
Major efforts are also being made to provide training and equipment to animal production and health departments in the country. In this connection, the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), awarded 36 scholarships for a one-year training course for national staff in the following fields: diagnosis, treatment and border health control and in laboratory analyses.
The World Bank also plans to construct three veterinary clinics, two diagnostic laboratories and two veterinary products stores.
The following four integrated rural development projects do not have a separate livestock production component:
- Niefang, funded by FAC
- Bata/Nfunga funded by FED
- North Mougomo funded by IFAD
- Nsork-Nsomo funded by Euro-action accord.
The only livestock production activities envisaged in the Niefang project, the most ambitious of all projects in terms of animal production, are:
- poultry vaccination
- yearly drenching and spraying of pigs
- twice-yearly drenching and spraying of sheep and goats.
An FAO mission visited Equatorial Guinea in 1983 as part of the International Programme for the Development of the Meat Sector and the International Dairy Products Development Coordination Programme and identified the following livestock development projects: Development of Cattle production in Moka Valley, Improvement of Goat Production on continental Equatorial Guinea and Pilot Cattle Breeding Scheme in Rio Muni (FAO, 1983). Funds for these projects are still being sought.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). 1985. International Programme for the Development of the Meat Sector and International Programme for Coordinating the Development of the Dairy Sector. Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Draft Report, FAO, Rome, Italy.
Ford J and Katondo K M. 1976. The distribution of tsetse flies (Glossina) in Africa 1973. Sheet 1: Palpalis group; Sheet 2: Morsitans group; Sheet 3: Fusca group. Thematic maps, scale 1: 5 000 000. OAU/STRC (Organization of African Unity/Scientific and Technical Research Commission), Lagos, Nigeria. Each map on 3 sheets.
Hoste C. 1985. Consultation mission on the marketing and multiplication of trypanotolerant cattle. FAO project GCP/RAF/190/ITA. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
UDEAC (Union Douanière des Etats d'Afrique Centrale). 1984. Rapport de mission sur l'identification et l'évolution des besoins de la République de Guinée Equatoriale en matière d'élevage. B. Takam, UDEAC.
UDEAC (Union Douanière des Etats d'Afrique Centrale). 1985. L'élevage des petite Dominants au Congo. Report of a seminar on small ruminant production in UDEAC member states, 2-15 May 1985. Bangui, Central African Republic.
In view of the fact that Equatorial Guinea was not included in the previous studies, a comparative analysis of the data obtained cannot be made.
However, two major events which occurred during the period covered and have a major impact in the livestock production sector should be noted. They are:
- Equatorial Guinea's entry into the Customs Union of Central African States (UDEAC). When the community's centre for N'Dama improvement and multiplication becomes operational, Equatorial Guinea will gain access to a supply of high grade breeding stock to launch cattle production and livestock breeding operations- the entry of Equatorial Guinea into the franc zone in 1985, an event which will obviously affect the national economy and consequently, the price of livestock products.
Various development projects, some of which are currently being implemented, have been formulated. However, it should be emphasised that relatively little importance is given to the livestock component in existing projects.
