State owned Cotton farm raided by cattle

By Tamiru Geda

A large state owned cotton plantation in the Afar regional state has been destroyed due to foraging by a large number of cattle, sheep, camels and goats. The presence of guards hired by the Tendaho Plantation Share Company, one of the public enterprises running extensive farming didn’t save much. The Privatization, and Public Enterprises Supervising Authority has also expressed its concern about the tragic destruction, sources disclosed Capital.

As of December 20, 2004, according to information disclosed to Capital, cattle that come from surrounding localities with herders who armed with AK-47s are said to have been entering the territory of the cotton plantation during daytime, as well as at night. “It is just a matter of survival” said a staff member of the plantation. According to him no one within the management or among the employees could block the raid by grazers that are destroying the cotton yet not collected by the plantation.

So far the grazers have destroyed more than 436 hectares of cotton harvest.  Ato Beyne G/Meskele, General manger of the State Enterprises Authority, is said to have paid a short visit to the area after the incident took place.  “He came back deeply affected by the misfortune,” said a member of the management the plantation. It is estimated that so far the enterprise lost more than 10 million birr due to the unexpected incident over the area. The same sources also disclosed that an intervention made by Ato Ismael Alisero-head of the Afar Regional State, was not successful.” He was upset with the whole incident but didn’t pay attention to our concern, he on the contrary asked us why we were exaggerating the case so much and making such noise” said one of our sources in the area who also had the chance to meet the head of the regional state who traveled about 10 kms far way from his palace to the threatened area. Ismael Alisero also asked why the cattle raiders did not destroy private cotton plantations. People from the state farm argue that it was due to heavy protection by security guards that private farms have been saved.

It is believed that the current drought in the regional state may have contributed towards the aggravation of the raids this year. Capital learnt that usually cotton flower has to go through three pickings (from the end of October till January) before it’s left for cattle. More than 420 hired security officers who get paid more than 400,000 birr per month guard the vast cotton plantations. The plantation is also said to be paying 15 birr per day to members of committees staffed with people from the locality & the administration to patrol the surrounding of plantation. This year the enterprise has planted more than 700 hectares of land with cotton.