By Hussaini Hammangabdo, Yola
Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has inaugurated members of the National Council on Livestock Development and Technical Committee to coordinate and transform the livestock sector into a key driver of economic diversification, food security, rural development, and peace building.
The governor represented by his Deputy Governor, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta appealed to the minister to facilitate the “Natural Resource Fund Grant Application” submitted to Mr President in May, 2024 entitled “Improving Livestock Productivity and Mitigation of Herders-Farmers Conflict through Effective Utilization of Grazing Reserves
Farauta solicited funding for an intervention for the Model Demonstration Pilot Ranch under the implementation of the NLTP Overarching Pillar of “Economic Investment in Livestock Ranching, Fodder Production and Value Chains.”
She added that the government has embarked on rehabilitation and demarcation of 69 grazing reserves (32 Gazetted and 37 ungazetted) and stock routes, desilting of Dams, and provision of watering points for livestock in most of the Gazetted Grazing Reserves Establishment of a state office for the National Livestock Transformation Project in the state for pasture development in the Gongoshi Grazing Reserve.
Also, modernization and construction of International Cattle and livestock markets, rehabilitation and reconstruction of Yola Ultra-Modern Abattoirs, and construction of state-of-the-art modern veterinary hospital/clinics and veterinary laboratories.
The government equally constructed Artificial Insemination Centers across the 3 geopolitical zones and established cold-chain facilities and milk collection centers across the state by L-Press to strengthen the veterinary and animal health systems in terms of disease surveillance and control, including vaccination against diseases such as CBPP, FMD, PPR, HS, LS, and Rabies in the state.
Earlier, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, during the maiden meeting, urged the committee to foster collaboration and attract investment in the livestock value chain.
The council, chaired by the minister, has Permanent Secretary, Dr Chinyere Akujobi as secretary, all the commissioners of the ministries of livestock Development and their directors across the 36 states and FCT, and stakeholders in the livestock industry as members.
He said the Ministry was established with a clear mandate: to transform the livestock sector from a traditional, often conflict-ridden practice, into a modern, sustainable, and economically vibrant industry, guided by the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS), the National Livestock Master Plan, and other laudable initiatives.
This Council meeting which has its theme “Livestock Rebirth: Accelerating Renewed Hope” aims to transform the livestock industry from a $32billiona industry to a $74billion industry within the next 5 years, adding that many companies have shown interest in investing in Dairy, Beef, Fodder, Small Ruminants, Animal Breeding, Poultry, and Piggery
Additionally, the ministry has registered eight new pasture species, rehabilitated the National Veterinary Research Institute in Vom, and expanded livestock vaccine production capacity from 120 million to 850 million doses per annum.
“Our target to double national milk production from 700,000 to 1, 4 million metric tons annually is now within reach, a crucial step in cutting our $1.5 billion annual dairy import bill.
Sahel Reporters News
