Kaduna Moves to Boost Livestock Farming With Year Round Feed Production

(Cows. Photo Credit: Daily Trust)

Kaduna State is sustaining gains from a five-year dairy development programme by making year-round livestock feed production a key priority.

The Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) programme, which just ended, worked across seven states to boost small-scale dairy farming.

Kaduna is now integrating lessons from the programme into its long-term livestock strategy.

Dr Ibrahim Yusuf, managing director of Kaduna Ranch Development Company, said a major challenge in livestock farming is having quality feed available throughout the year.

The company is addressing this by revitalising grazing reserves and improving pasture across the state.

The company is currently developing 110 hectares of the Damau Grazing Reserve in Kubau to produce high-quality livestock feed.

The five-year programme, funded by the Gates Foundation, reached 15,000 dairy households across Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Adamawa and Taraba.

It focused on improving productivity, empowering women farmers and improving nutrition in dairy communities.

Temi Adegoroye, managing partner of Sahel Consulting which ran the programme, said ALDDN also provided solar-powered boreholes for clean water, milk collection equipment and vehicles for moving milk to markets.

SAJ Foods managing director Sanusi Abdullahi said the programme strengthened links between farmers, cooperatives, processors and government, improving market access and financial inclusion for women.