The Ikun Dairy Farm, Ikun-Ekiti, Moba Local Government, which the state government recently resuscitated, has started producing milk for the first time since it was established about 40 years ago.
The Ekiti State Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Mr Muyiwa Olumilua, who gave the information in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, described the development as “a symbolic milestone” and sign of what to expect when the farm reaches full capacity.
Olumilua recalled that in July 2019, the state government had signed an agreement with Promasidor Nigeria Limited to form a joint venture company named Ikun Dairy Farm, located at Ikun-Ekiti.
According to him, Promasidor agreed to invest the sum of $5 million in the farm to procure, at least, 500 cows and processing equipment, as well as renovate the buildings in the farm.
He added that the farm would be expected to produce up to 10,000 litres of milk per day at full capacity.
Expressing satisfaction with the progress of work on the farm, Olumilua noted that in just a year after the agreement was signed, the farm had returned to life with over 120 cows in place, while 200 more were being expected before the year runs out.
“Arable farming has commenced in the area, while the promised renovation of buildings is ongoing, and over 30 people from the community have been employed by the company,” he said.
The Special Adviser to Governor Kayode Fayemi on Investments, Trade and Innovations, Mr Akintunde Oyebode, lamented that though the coronavirus pandemic affected the progress of work on the farm, the effect of the pandemic was not insurmountable and the farm would attain optimum capacity by the end of the year.
Oyebode assured that hundreds of direct and indirect job opportunities would be created when the farm attained full capacity and called on residents of the state to continue to support the efforts of the Fayemi-led administration at developing the state.
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