From Single Cow To Dairy Empire: The Story Of Mbu Peter’s High-octane Dynasty

December 29, 2025, Kobenyang, Mbengwi, Cameroon: Way back in 1993, Mbu Peter Nji Anyang 18, stood at a crossroads. Some in his village, Kobenyang in Momo Division of Cameroon’s North West Region whispered that he was too young to be a farmer. That he lacked the land and independence to handle the huge responsibility of managing a dairy cow. He almost walked away, his papers for military recruitment already in hand. At the time, he was the youngest member of the Kobenyang Mixed Farming Group in Mbengwi.

God-sent Intervention 
But Dr. Henry Njakoi, the Heifer International Cameroon Project Coordinator for Mezam/Momo, saw something the skeptics didn't. He saw a teenager who had already spent his spare time developing improved pastures while others waited for opportunity to find them. "Even if you join the military," Njakoi told him, "I will leave your heifer with your mother."
Peter never joined the army. Instead, he stayed, accepted a single crossbred Holstein Friesian heifer, and began a journey that would redefine rural entrepreneurship in Cameroon’s North West Region.

From Crossbreds To Purebreds
For nearly two decades, Peter mastered the art of dairy farming with crossbred animals. By 2010, his ambitions outgrew the standard local stock. He had watched truckloads of purebred Holstein Friesians arrive in the country in 2000 and spent years studying their needs. Visiting the Quarantine Station in Mfonta, Bambui near Bamenda, the North West Regional capital, and pioneer farmers like Pa Abraham Memo to learn "zero-grazing" techniques.
To upgrade his farm, Peter made a bold financial move: he sold his most of crossbred herd to afford seven purebred Holstein Friesian cows. The cheapest cost him 700,000 FCFA (nearly $1,000 USD) - a fortune for a village farmer. His gamble paid off. Soon, one of his purebred cows hit a staggering 30 liters of milk per day - more than triple what he had seen in his early years with crossbreds.

Beyond The Paddock
Some 32 years on, the impact of Peter’s farm is most visible not in his 10.5-hectare paddock, but in his family’s achievements. The "liquid gold" from his dairy production didn't just build a modern four-bedroom home; it became the tuition for his family’s dreams.
With his wife, Vivian Njianyong by his side - who transitioned from a Grade One teacher to an Animal Production Engineering student at the University of Bamenda - Peter has seen his children reach the heights of academia. Today, one child studies Veterinary Medicine in the University of Buea in the South West Region. And another is reading Medicine in the University of Bamenda.

A Resilience Tested By Toil
The path hasn't been without thorns. Peter has faced everything from jealous neighbours who discouraged local cooperatives from buying his milk; to the heartbreaking closure of regional processing plants like Sotramilk. Even today, he battles soft ticks and the high costs of maintaining elite livestock.
Yet, Peter remains a visionary. He now manages a herd of 110 cattle, including 40 Holstein Friesian purebreds and a developing beef herd of Borans. Middlemen now seek him out to s...