Federal Gov’t Commissions New Facilities to Boost Livestock Productivity

The Federal Government has inaugurated new pasture, feed and water infrastructure at the National Animal Production Research Institute, NAPRI, Shika, Kaduna State, to tackle challenges limiting livestock productivity and food security.

Source: championnews

The facilities were provided under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, L-PRES, and are expected to improve pasture development, feed supply and water access for livestock production.

At the commissioning, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said the project supports the Renewed Hope Agenda and is aimed at strengthening the country’s livestock production system.

He noted that poor pasture development and inadequate feed supply have continued to affect animal productivity, climate resilience and the performance of the livestock value chain.

The infrastructure includes a hay storage facility with a capacity of 500 tonnes per year, a pasture seed processing plant capable of handling 10 tonnes per hour, a pasture seed drying facility of 20 tonnes per year, and four solar-powered boreholes with drinking troughs within NAPRI. A similar solar-powered borehole was also installed at one of the institute’s outstations in Yobe State.

Maiha called on NAPRI to make effective use of the facilities and ensure that research outcomes meet the needs of farmers and the private sector.

The National Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Dr Sanusi Abubakar, said the intervention is part of efforts to strengthen research and innovation systems, adding that further upgrades are ongoing at NAPRI’s artificial insemination, embryo transfer, dairy, poultry, sheep and goat facilities. He said the World Bank has rated the project satisfactory.

The Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, described NAPRI as important to national livestock development efforts, while the Acting Director of NAPRI, Prof. Mohammed Rabiu Hassan, assured that the facilities would be fully utilised.

The commissioning ceremony was attended by senior government officials, traditional rulers, academics and other stakeholders.