Animal Feed Loan: Kebbi State Kicks-off Livestock, Dairy Initiative
Kebbi State Government has begun procedures for the implementation of its Animal Feed Loan project aimed at upscaling livestock and dairy production in the state.
The government recently revealed that it screened about 500 herders to benefit from the loan.
The herders will repay the loan with 2 litres of fresh milk daily, it said.
Project Consultant, Dr. Usman Rambo made this known to newsmen during the screening exercise of the to-be beneficiaries at Gesse-Bayaro-Hatawa settlements, Birnin Kebbi.
According to Rambo, the government wants to beef up the pastoral sector and ensure that it contributes its quota to the economy.
He said the project was an initiative of the state’s Ministry of Animal Health, Husbandry and Fisheries.
Rambo stated that each beneficiary would be granted livestock production inputs worth N288,000 and will repay two litres of fresh milk daily within 20 months.
“The milk collectors will be provided with motorcycles and milk cans, to collect and transport the fresh milk to livestock investigation and breeding centre at Bulasa, in Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area, for processing.
“Each beneficiary will be given the following inputs: 35 bags of wheat, 5 bags of cottonseed, 3 blocks of salt licks, drugs and vaccines and N50,000 cash for roughage, among others,” he said.
The milk collection and processing initiative is under the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS), piloted by the state government.
This was according to the Director, Animal Husbandry in the Ministry, Dr. Ahmed Umar-Ambursa, who admonished the state government to sustain the programme.
He appealed to the beneficiaries to embrace the intervention as an opportunity to advance their livelihoods.
