Livestock Ministry, ICRISAT Partner to Turn Crop Waste into Nutritious Animal Feed

Nigeria’s livestock industry is set for a major breakthrough as the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development moves to collaborate with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) on transforming crop residues into high-quality animal feed.

Source:FMLD

The partnership centers on the deployment of locally made stover chopper machines that can convert crop residues into feed with up to 90 percent efficiency, offering a cost-effective and sustainable solution to one of the sector’s biggest challenges — feed scarcity.

Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed the plan during a meeting with an ICRISAT delegation at his office in Abuja. He described the initiative as a bold step toward addressing Nigeria’s agricultural and livestock challenges through innovation, technology, and strategic collaboration.

Maiha noted that crop residues — often discarded as waste — hold immense value for farmers if properly harnessed. “People can take the grains, the foliage, and the residue. Everything can be turned into animal feed,” he said. “This innovation will not only reduce waste but also make livestock feed more accessible and affordable.”

The Minister urged ICRISAT to begin by optimizing available crop varieties before expanding into grass and pasture integration, emphasizing the need for widespread farmer education in local languages to drive adoption. “We must take this message to the grassroots in a language our farmers understand,” he said. “It is time to see crop residue not as waste, but as a valuable input that strengthens our livestock sector.”

Maiha reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to the partnership, revealing that discussions are already underway with state governors to establish pilot projects across selected grazing reserves in Adamawa, Plateau, and the FCT, among others.

ICRISAT’s Country Representative for Nigeria, Dr. Ignatius Ijantiku Angarawai, highlighted the Institute’s success in developing dual-purpose sorghum and millet varieties that produce both grain and fodder. He revealed that research had shown remarkable results, with birds fed on Kaura sorghum gaining significantly more weight than those fed on maize — a breakthrough that could reshape poultry feed production in the country.

Dr. Angarawai pledged ICRISAT’s continued collaboration with the Ministry in advancing the Nigeria Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS), including farmer training through the Farmer Field School model and policy support to strengthen extension services nationwide.

The partnership marks a new chapter in Nigeria’s quest for feed security and livestock resilience — one where innovation turns agricultural leftovers into a lifeline for farmers and a driver of sustainable growth across the nation’s livestock economy.