Gombe Moves To Strengthen Dairy Sector Through Private Partnership

The Gombe State Government has begun a public-private partnership plan to improve milk production, collection and processing in the state. The initiative is part of preparations to establish a dairy processing factory and develop a sustainable dairy value chain.

As part of the plan, the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project held a meeting with dairy farm owners in the state. The meeting aimed to formalise their participation in the developing dairy value chain and strengthen collaboration in the sector.

The State Project Coordinator of Gombe L-PRES, Professor Usman Bello Abubakar, said the private sector plays a key role in transforming the livestock industry, especially the dairy subsector. He said established dairy farms are expected to supply quality raw milk to milk processing facilities that will be set up in the state.

He added that the L-PRES project will provide technical support and production inputs to improve herd productivity, strengthen farm management and reduce production losses. He said smallholder dairy farmers will also benefit from the interventions.

Abubakar said Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has shown commitment to developing the livestock and dairy sector. He noted that the governor recently led delegations to Morocco and New Zealand to study dairy production technologies, pasture management, milk processing infrastructure and cooperative dairy farm management.

He said the lessons from those visits will support investments and partnerships aimed at improving the dairy industry in the state.

The project also plans to establish 22 milk collection centres across major dairy clusters in the state to improve milk aggregation, marketing and value addition.

Dairy farmers at the meeting commended the state government and the L-PRES project for bringing stakeholders together. They also acknowledged earlier support from the project, including artificial insemination services, pasture and fodder development and training programmes.