Experts insist on a dynamic livestock industry, which will stimulate the production of meat and milk, according to DANIEL ESSIET.
In Nigeria, about 1.7 million tons of milk is consumed annually, but only 34 percent is to meet demand. A shortage of over a million tons is imported, and it costs $ 480.3 million. United States (N173.3 billion).
Despite the fact that dairy products are an important segment of the agricultural sector and are the second largest in the country's food industry, the conviction that the government could not compare words with actions to position it as a viable alternative means of national livelihood after a disastrous experience with raw by oil.
In recent years, the government has given priority to transforming the agricultural sector, but the lack of a roadmap for livestock has impeded implementation.
While most animals in Nigeria are local breeds, research has shown that if they are adequately fed, they can produce 10 times more milk than they do now.
To increase production, experts said that the implementation of a livestock development plan could pave the way for improved cattle production, which would double the production of dairy products of small farmers and herders.
In addition to the direct impact on rural livelihoods, they said that the transformation of the sector has the potential to reduce food prices in the interests of consumers and create foreign exchange through increased exports.
According to them, a successful livestock industry is also crucial to ensure food safety and nutrition at the domestic, sectoral and national levels.
One of the experts is Secretary / Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS), Professor Eustace Yayi.
Despite the fact that the government focuses on agriculture, he said that the livestock sub-sector did not respond to the changing needs of the market, because both processors and farmers face problems on many fronts.
For example, he said that livestock farmers are under tremendous pressure from increased costs and harsh weather conditions all year round.
Other challenges include maintaining beef as a premium product in the context of reducing support and meeting environmental constraints; poor financing and unacceptably low incomes for farmers. He said that the beef sector was particularly exposed and should be fully protected.
Iyayi said the government should keep farming and the agriculture sector at the top of the agenda.
He said that NIAS supported seminars aimed at encouraging farmers to raise high-yielding cows to help them maximize herd productivity.
In some areas, farmers experience water shortages due to broken dams across the country.
Other needs on the farm.
According to him, the beef industry is one of the industries in the country, but it needs to be supported in order to become an important part of the agri-food sector.
Kuku emphasized the need for the industry to commit to continue to promote best practices in food safety and quality, recognizing their importance to consumers and the competitive advantage that such practices offer.
He added that a competitive and efficient manufacturing sector plays a central role in maintaining a viable beef industry, both at the producer level and in production.
To this end, he said that the sector must continue to adapt to changing market challenges and changing consumer needs. This involves working with suppliers and manufacturers to ensure a continuous supply of animals that meet market requirements.
According to Cook, for cattle producers and the wider value-added chain to fully enjoy the growing demand, the industry must maintain a constant supply of products throughout the year.
He said that the beef industry has the potential to grow, thanks to both sustainable growth in on-farm enterprise productivity and value added in the supply chain.
He stressed the need for a wider range of information and resources regarding biological safety plans for cattle operators.
The former dean of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Professor Abiodun Adelia, said that the industry should be supported in order to produce large quantities of high-quality milk and ensure full traceability of the product from farm to plate.
He said that this sector also needs to improve the management of feeding, health and animal husbandry, because it has the potential to create a commercial diary sector.
Adeloye has called for joint efforts to position the industry in order to catch the benefits that exist in the growing demand for premium beef.
He also urged the government to commit to investing in the research, development and introduction of livestock production in industries that greatly contribute to the health of the sector.
Adélie said that the sector needs a production system and a value chain that meets the expectations of stakeholders in this sector.
In addition to farm jobs, he said that there are many other economic and labor activities in the livestock supply chain. These include the most basic collection of livestock or products, as well as the processing of special products, such as yogurt.
On the eve of the National Conference on the Transformation of Animal Husbandry in Abuja, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe, raised the alarm that Nigeria might suffer from cattle shortages in the near future due to the number of cows consumed daily without adequate warming.
According to the minister, “the way we consume cows, kills them, is alarming. Lagos alone consumes 6,000 cows per day, a figure in slaughterhouses, not a figure from birthdays and burial ceremonies, and so on.
“Imagine what Port Harcourt, or Umuahia, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and Maiduguri consumes. If you add it, we can eat up to 80,000 – 90,000 cows per day, and we do not split as many.
“This means that the day will come, if West Africans do not come to Nigeria with their cows, we can find out that we do not have cattle. So, this is the economic danger that faces us, ”said Ogbe.
