Ondo govt trains 150 pastoralists on feedlots operational system

ONDO State government last Friday said it has trained and certified 150 pastoralists in cattle, sheep and goat value-chain business with special emphasis on feedlot operational system.

The event was organised by Ondo State Agricbusiness Empowerment Centre (OSAEC), in collaboration with Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO),

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu disclosed this in his address at the closing ceremony of the second phase of the five-day training programme in Akure.

Akeredolu, represented by the Head of Service, Pastor John Adeyemi, said his administration thought it expedient to revamp and reintroduce feedlots, a variant of ranching, with support of FAO.

The governor, who reiterated that the future of the country depends on agriculture, urged the the participants to think more on opportunities in the entire value chain of agriculture.

Chairman of OSAEC, Pastor Akin Olotu, urged the participants to adopt as practice the feedlot system of rearing animals, as it would improve productivity and profit for the famer.

“You will agree with me that the open grazing has become problematic in the country and people are complaining. Herders are Nigerians, they can move around and farmers are equally Nigerians entitled to their farm and we have to put and end to the conflict.

“We have discovered that what is the way to out and we noticed that these people are not being trained or exposed to modern ways of doing it and we expect their (Miyetti Allah) national association to champion a course like this across the country.

“This is why we are working with Miyetti Allah in the state, they are not our enemies, we are friends. This is the method of doing it and we are partnering with FAO with different languages,” he said

Ondo State secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Mr Ahmed Danna, described the training as a welcome development for the association.

Danna said with technology, the meat production and profitability for them would increase.

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