By Amos Odhe
Director General of the BRACED Commission, Amb Joe Keshi, has felicitated with Alhaji Idi Mukthar Maiha on his appointment as the pioneer Minister of Livestock Development.
According to a statement signed by Eustace A Iyayi, Special Assistant to the minister, Amb Keshi, during a meeting in Abuja, informed the minister of the economic potential in the livestock sector in the South South region, which consists of the BRACED states of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Edo and Delta.
He expressed the desire of the region to collaborate and work with the new ministry in order to realize the full potential in the livestock sector in the region.
The minister, Alhaji Idi Mukthar Maiha, in his response assured the DG of the ministry’s readiness to work with the region in order to develop its livestock sector.
He said that the ministry is interested in the improvement of the country’s farmable animals, their health improvement and the development of the feed, pasture and fodder value chain.
Alhaji Maiha said he would like to see youths in the region involved in fodder production for cattle, sheep and goat production.
He said that the ministry would like to work with the region to establish standard abattoirs in the region, stating that the current one in Port Harcourt can be put to immediate use.
The minster also said it is possible to establish two dairy plants in the region that will off take milk from dairy farmers in the region, noting that the region has the advantage of short distances and therefore short travel times between cities and towns.
Alhaji Maiha said the abattoirs will serve to off-take animal feed stock from the adjoining states for meat distribution to the urban centers.
The minister said that ranching by graduates in the region can be encouraged because they have shorter learning time than non-graduate practitioners in the sector.
The meeting resolved to pursue a buy-in of commissioners of Agriculture/Livestock and directors of Livestock in the BRACED states in the partnership initiative.
The meeting also agreed to ensure the minister is invited to the next meeting of the South South Governors Forum for him to brief them on the collaboration that can be established between the region and the ministry to exploit the potentials in the livestock sector.
Among issues discussed are that, “The Port Harcourt abattoir is to be fully assessed to know its capacity for cattle, sheep and goat slaughter; a progamme for fodder production outlined, and mapping of producers in the value chain to enable their aggregation for productive alliances, which will make dealing with the region in a block easier.”
Others include, “Data and statistics of Livestock farms (poultry, small ruminants and cattle and fodder production) in the region need to be known, and that pasture production can start at the next planting season if land is made available.”
