Kebbi Government Screens 500 Herders for Animal Feed Loan With 2 Litres of Fresh Milk Daily As Loan Repayment

Kebbi State government has begun the screening of 500 herders for animal feed loan in order to encourage livestock production in the State.

Speaking on the loan development, the Project Consultant, Dr. Usman Rambo, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while screening beneficiaries at Gesse-Bayaro- Hutawa settlements in Birnin Kebbi.

He slated that the project was organized and designed by the Kogi State Government to improve local milk and livestock production in the state.

“The animal feeds loan is a project of the State government through the Ministry of Animal Health, Husbandry and Fisheries.

“The project targets 500 beneficiaries from the herders’ communities and is aimed at improving local milk and enhancing livestock production in the state,” Rambo said.

He added that each of the beneficiaries would be granted livestock production inputs worth N288,000, adding that the loan would be repaid with two litres of fresh milk daily within 20 months.

“The milk collectors will be provided with motorcycles and milk cans, to collect and transport the fresh milk to livestock investigation and breeding centre at Bulasa, in Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area, for processing.

“Each beneficiary will be given the following inputs: 35 bags of wheat, 5 bags of cotton seed, 3 blocks of salt licks, drugs and vaccines and N50,000 cash for roughage, among others,” the consultant stated.

Earlier, the Director, Animal Husbandry in the Ministry, Dr. Ahmed Umar-Ambursa, said that the milk collection and processing project was under the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS), piloted by the state government.

He urged the beneficiaries to appreciate the gesture and ensure the best use of the opportunity for the success and sustainability of the project.

Umar-Ambursa enjoined the beneficiaries to utilize the gesture for the purpose it was meant, to improve their socio-economic well-being.