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Godey, March 24, 2006. Pastoralists resettled in west Gode woreda of the Somali state are marketing agricultural products that they produced by utilizing Wabeshebelle River.

Some 780 households settled on 1,000 hectares of land along Wabeshebele River three years ago told WIC recently that they have managed not only to become food self-sufficient but also to change their livelihood by marketing the corn they produced for the first time.

The settlers said they are now able to produce 40 quintals of corn twice in a year by using the dam that the federal government built on Wabeshebelle River and added that they have also a plan to produce cash crops, fruits and vegetables.

The settlers have also said that their livelihood has changed completely as they are now able to lead stable life and started generating fixed assets.

According to Abdi Bekhi,one of the settlers, they used to live in the wild as shepherds and the practice exposed them to dependency when their cattle died of drought.

A woman settler,Nured Dol Degal, said on her part that the support they need from the government now is only professional assistance that helps them improve their produces.

The west Godeh irrigation development project head, Ahmed Mauzer, said the land in the area is fertile enough to produce valuable agricultural products without additional agricultural inputs and preparations are underway to help the settlers engage in the production of sesame and rice.

According to Ahmed, other pastoralists who have observed the change in the livelihood of the settlers have also requested to be resettled while some others have already started living with relatives who were resettled earlier.

The regional irrigation development authority manager, Abdurahman Ahmed, said on his part that preparation of farm land and water canals is underway with an outlay of 30 million birr to settle additional 3,000 family heads as the resettlement scheme has proved effective in mitigating the food insecurity in the state.

Source: (WIC)