The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Abubakar, has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring food security in Nigeria.
He spoke in Abuja Thursday at the opening of the 1st National Animal Feed Summit with the theme ‘Developing a Roadmap for Animal Feed Security in Nigeria’.
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Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ernest Umakhihe, the minister said safe animal feed production was crucial to the achievement of food security in the country.
”As a government, we’re committed to providing supports to livestock farmers in order to reduce the cost of inputs
”The ministry procures and distributes ruminant feed concentrates, salt licks and finished feeds to small-holder farmers,” he said.
He said the present administration had taken proactive steps to develop the feed industry.
“We’re exploring alternative ingredients such as cassava peels and cocoa pod with supply of cottage feed-block mold in some states,” he said
He said the government had approved the release of 5,000 metric tons of maize from the Strategic Food Reserve to the Poultry Association of Nigeria.
”The essence is to inject resources and raw materials into the feed industry. We shall continue to give attention to the animal feed needs of farmers in the country.
”We shall do this by implementing enduring policies that will transform the nation’s livestock industry and agriculture in general,” he said.
Abubakar stated that animal feed accounted for no fewer than 70 per cent of the cost of animal production. (NAN)
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