FG unveils milk machine to encourage farmers

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 FG unveils milk machine to encourages farmers

     * Stakeholders hail livestock industry, demand more funding

The Federal Government (FG) yesterday reiterated its determination to stimulate livestock sub sector economy into a robust wealth creation industry where best agronomics practice at all the value chains of productivity would be upheld, just as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh unveiled a milk processing machine of 6,000 capacity liters per day meant to be distributed to pastoralists.

 Chief Audu Ogbeh who represented the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo, said that the potentials in the livestock industry has been under-utilized unlike what is obtained in Botswana and Argentina where animals were reared in a confined ways, using grazing reserve and ranching methods integrated with processing in a hygienic way of getting the protein contents (meat-milk) from the animals and other derivatives like leather adding that the machines would be given to livestock farmers to help them meeting demand potentials in the milk sub sector.

He emphasized the need that the industry be repositioned in order to be able to meet with the current demand of meat and milk for consumption in the country, pointed the past neglect of the sub sector has resulted to huge amount being spent on imported milk annually. “ It is mandatory to develop the sub-sector as milk and meat are the most nutritious food known to man, important in the diet”

 

The Minister pointed that the incessant conflict between the farmers and pastoralists has necessitated the need for the meeting to brainstorm so as to be able to proffer a lasting solutions that would make the industry very competitive economically saying there was huge dollar potential in the livestock industry that Nigeria could harness to her economic advantage.

Chief Ogbeh condemned the neglect of the sub sector saying all the 415 grazing reserves were not functioning including the FCT route, pointed that was why it was difficult to drive the cattle rearers away from Abuja as he posited that the best practices to get economic benefits from animal production was through confinement because they do not like being moved about.

A cattle rancher who simple wanted to be called Mohammed Abu a rancher speaking with Food Farm News, highlighted challenges of milk production in Nigeria as “ low milk output of Fulani cows, poor grass quality that leads to low milk yield, and lack of storage and processing equipment, unsanitary methods of milk handling, breakdown of processing plants, and inefficient milk collection centers. Others are competition between local milk collectors and official milk collectors, faulty pricing and management policies, and lack of economic incentives from the government hamper the expansion of Nigeria's dairy industry”

He added that with the exception of farm residue, the natural grass upon which the bovine depend is low in protein and indigestible roughage. Animals feeding on this grass have poor nutrition and low milk harvest. Abu stressed that Fulani can raise their output of milk now that the federal government is showing more concern in dairy products through efficient policy with improved technologies to ensure milk collections and distribution. 

“Although the Fulani have formed the Federation of Milk Producers Association to ease milk collection, the association cannot guarantee the supply or the demand for the milk. An examination of the activities of the association indicates that it is more active in controlling price and imposing standards than in coordinating milk sales. The association operates mainly near urban areas where it targets the elite producers and commercial ranchers. Most Fulani in the rural areas are not even aware of the existence of the association”.