Agric ministry moves to boost daily milk production by 2, 000 litres

By Mohammed Kandi

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) said it will raise the milk production level of the indigenous cows by 2, 000 litres, to address the current milk deficit occasioned by less than 500 litres of milk of location cow being produced in Nigeria daily.

In a statement issued by Muhammad Tahir Zakari, an Information Officer in the ministry, Dr. Ademola Raji, the Director, Federal Department of Animal Production and Husbandry Services of the ministry disclosed this in Nasarawa state, at the opening of a capacity building programme for Dairy Value-Chain’s Subject Matter Specialists (SMSs) in eleven states in Nigeria.

Represented by Alhaji Adeola, a Deputy Director in the Department, Dr. Raji said the 2, 000 litres would be achieved using the artificial insemination, with high productivity semen and feed supplement. “The aim of this workshop is to adequately equip the SMSs officers of the eleven states, as well as the Value Chain Team with the training on artificial insemination techniques and assessment at farm level, Bovine reproduction and health in dairy animals and techniques for assessment of animal health and production parameters,” Dr. Raji

explained.

In his remarks, the Desk Officer of Dairy Value-Chain in the ministry, Mr. Ezenwa Nwakonobi, enlisted various objectives of the value-chain including creation of structural shift in the dairy industry, to turn Nigeria into a major player in local milk and milk products supply, to create wealth for dairy farmers and to create jobs along the value chain.

He however mentioned the goals of the value chain as “linking private sector processors to domestic milk supplies, increase national milk output from 469,000MT to 1.1 million MT by organizing small holder milk producers cooperatives clustered around milk processors.” He added that, “the 2014 GES roll-out for dairy value-chain will come up on 24 November, 2014 in all the eleven (11) states, to involve 2,200 farmers, while 4,400 animals were targeted and 300kg of feed and 10kg of salt lick will be redeemed per farmer #11,200 at 50% subsidy.”