FG partners indigenous firm to boost dairy production

IN an effort to boost dairy production in the country, and also end crisis between herdsmen and farmers  the federal government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with L-And-Z intergrated dairy farm.

The MOU according to the Managing Director of the Company, Mohammad Abubaka  was to engage the Fulani herdsmen on a commercial basis in milk production, adding that it would further reduce the roaming about of the herdsmen.

He said “Nigeria is no doubt feeling the impact of the roaming about of the herdsmen and the contribution they can make to the economy when this is stopped”

Abubakar said the MoU would fast track puting the herdsmen in co-operatives so that the raw milk could be easily collected and put into production of fresh milk, adding that the herdsmen could be trained and developed to improve the quality of there herd which would in turn improve dairy production in the country.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Audu Ogbeh in his remark lamented that Nigeria still import a lot of powdered milk which is not as good as fresh milk, despite the fact that 37percent of children in the country are malnourished.

He said the government was willing to partner with L-And-Z farm to boost dairy industry and also serve as effort in resolving the conflict between herdsmen and farmers.

He said “the conflict between herdsmen and farmers is very undesirable for a country that has 45million hectares of empty land and then watching cattle herdsmen wandering around and getting to farms. But because we have neglected this sector for too long we have the crisis with us and the best way of solving it is retracing our steps and doing what L-And-Z has done and what they are willing to do”

The Minister said “a day should come when herdsmen would no longer move around, there children have right to education, and living in the bush is not the best way and enduring all kinds of things is not the bush”

He pointed out that some of the plans of the school feeding program was to give each child a pant of milk daily, adding that such thing would improve the intelligence of children of the country.

While commending the innovation by Peak milk to pay any Fulani herdsmen who are willing to send their girl child to school, he said for a country where girl child education is very backward, Peak Milk should be highly commended for taking such steps.