The Federal Government has supplied animal food (feed) ingredients to livestock farmers and feed millers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Nutrition animal feeds, according to Dr Ernest Umakhihe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, are critical for the development and productivity of animals, including food animals.
“In Nigeria, animal feed remains a challenge to animal husbandry practices, largely due to the high cost of animal feeds, which are not readily available and, where they are, are not easily affordable by an average farmer,” he explained.
Mrs Winnie Lai- Solarin, Director, Animal Husbandry Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, represented Umakhihe.
He expressed satisfaction that the livestock sub-sector’s contribution to the economy extends beyond the production of meat, milk, and eggs.
“The livestock sub-sector employs over one billion people worldwide, accounts for more than 40% of global agricultural GDP, and provides more than 33% of global protein intake.”
He stated that the event was in keeping with President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration strategy of leveraging the agricultural sector for wealth creation, job creation, and economic diversification.
In a statement, Lai- Solarin stated that the Ministry of Agriculture was committed to assisting farmers and livestock producers in improving their production processes in order to attain feed and food security.
“It is an established fact that feed constitutes about 70 per cent of the cost of livestock production.
“Therefore, subsidising the cost of feed production will not only increase the farmers’ profit but also sustain their interest,” She said.
Lai- Solarin, who was represented by Mrs Florence Hamed, Chief Health and Animal Husbandry Tech, said Silage making and utilisation was one such knowledge that could make a difference.
A beneficiary, Mr Eimoga Francis,Ampersand Farms, said the initiative would address the challenge of animal feed in animal husbandry practices.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the feed ingredients included cereal grains, Maize, Salt, Groundnut, milling by- products, among other raw materials.
