Increased foreign revenue in-flow into livestock industry exciting —Agric Minister

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, has described as heartwarming the increased flow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country’s livestock industry.

He commended the efforts of all stakeholders in that regard and solicited their continued support for the present government to turn agriculture around for the better.

Ogbeh who spoke at a conference in Abuja, however, lamented that the country had an annual shortfall of 600 metric tons of dairy.

He disclosed that the national dairy output was estimated at 700,000 metric tons while the demand was 1,300,000, thereby leaving a shortfall of 600,000 metric tons.

The minister, however, noted that the ministry was partnering with major national and international stakeholders in the dairy sector to inject a considerable volume of locally-produced raw powdered milk processed in the country to meet the national demand and drastically reduce milk importation by the year 2019.

Speaking at the conference, the Vice Chairman of Arla Foods, Jan Toft Noergaard, said the firm believed that there were more feats to be achieved in boosting the sub-sector.

He said that the conference was organized to discuss and offer solution to challenges facing dairy sector in West Africa.

Also speaking, the program coordinator of Care Denmark, Rolf Hernoe called for more action in achieving set target in the sector.