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| FG unveils milk machine to encourages farmers |
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”.
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