The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Development Partners in the Livestock Sub Sector have advocated for Alternative Feed Ingredients to enhance Animal Feed Supply and Reduce Cost of Production as well as boost the Economy.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, stated this during a Capacity Building Programme for livestock farmers held recently in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Dr. Umakhihe, who was represented by the Director, Animal Husbandry Services, Mrs. Winnie Lai Solarin stated that the Capacity Building Programme was in line with present administration’s agenda to leverage on the Agricultural Sector for Wealth Creation, Employment Generation and Diversification of the Economy.
Dr. Umakhihe pointed out that the programme would provide Stakeholders with needed knowledge and proffer solutions to overcome the complex challenges caused by Covid-19 Pandemic, Flood and Insecurity in the Animal Feed Sub-Sector.
He noted that the Livestock Sub-Sector supports over one billion people globally, accounting for over 40 percent of Global Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Provides over 33 percent of the World’s Protein intake.
He urged beneficiaries to make adequate use of the capacity building skills to optimize the utilization of alternative feed ingredients to produce at minimal cost.
Earlier in her remarks, the Director, Animal Husbandry Services, Mrs. Winnie Lai Solarin represented by the Chief Health and Animal Husbandry Technology, Mrs. Florence Ahmed stated that the Ministry was determined to support Feed Millers with enhanced production processing methods which would lead to increase in Feed Production, Food and Nutrition Security as well as Better Income.
She revealed that feed constitutes about 70% of the cost of livestock production as such, subsidizing the cost of feed production would not only increase the farmers profit but also sustain their interest.
In his Goodwill Message, the Director General, National Animal Production Research Institute, Dr. Yunusa Muhammad Ishiaku appealed to participants to utilize the knowledge acquired from the programme for sustainable animal feed production.
In attendance were Development Partners, Farmers, Feed Millers Representatives and Cooperative Groups among others.
Highlight of the event was the distribution of various animal feeds to each participant.