Govt reiterates commitment to livestock development

IN line with best global practices in maintaining the health of the national herd for food security, the Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to fully develop livestock sub sector through the development of infrastructure in the nation’s grazing reserve.

The Chairman, National Livestock Development Committee (NLDC), Dr. Joseph Nyager who reiterated this at the 41st meeting of the NLDC in Abuja said the Federal Government has facilitated the development of the grazing centres through the construction of 59 boreholes, nine earth dams and five livestock service centres in the 25 selected grazing reserves nationwide.

Nyager added that three grazing reserves in Runka, Katsina State, Udubo, Bauchi State, and Paikon-kore in Abuja were being developed as Model Grazing Reserves with equipped infrastructural facilities like earth dams, livestock service centres and road networks.

He also said that 8,151 kilometres of primary stock routes were identified and set up along the north east, west, central axis and 1,500km of grazing corridor in the south to reduce farmer and pastoralists clashes.

He further stated that the government has rehabilitated, equipped and restocked 13 livestock breeding and multiplication centres to facilitate selective breeding improvement, which would be managed under a public private partnership with the state research institutes.

The chairman hinted that plans were underway by the Federal Government to procure pesticide to be applied in the 12 front line states for the control of quelea birds in the cropping season.

The FCT Minister of State, Mr. Caleb Olubolade, who was represented by the Secretary of Agric, FCT, Mallam Adamu Buwai expressed worry over the widening gap in the demand and supply of animal protein in the FCT, caused by disease outbreaks among animals and high cost of supplementary feeds.

Highlighting other causes to include scarcity of pasture, lack of access to modern technology by farmers as well as high transportation cost among others.

Buwai maintained that to address these problems, the FCTA embarked on aggressive measures such as free mass treatment of livestock diseases in pastoral herds, construction and equipping of Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for FCT and its environment.

He hinted that plans were underway to construct another standard control post in Old Gawu aside the one at Abaji area of the FCT to check trans-boundary movement of animals into the FCT.

The FCT Secretary of Agric further disclosed that he has approved the construction of an artificial insemination centre at Paikon-Kore for the upgrade of local stock for better performance, adding that presently a milk collection and cooling centre has been established.

He added that the present FCT administration was also planning to establish ultra-modern abattoir at Tunga-Maje to be added to the already existing international livestock market at Dei-Dei to meet the yearnings of livestock producers in the FCT.

Source : Guardian