Sokoto gets new livestock, dairy production facilities

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has opened new modern animal husbandry facilities and poultry feed mills in Sokoto State to boost livestock production.

The Executive Secretary, NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, during a visit to the facility, expressed satisfaction with the level of work at the facilities after inspecting the animal husbandry farm and the poultry feed mill facility.

The modern animal husbandry farm has Napier grass on 50 hectares, cow pens with a capacity for 500 cows, a cow milking parlour with a capacity for 200 cows per set, and the construction of clinics/veterinary sections and a training centre.

The poultry feed mill is situated at Dayin village along the road to Doba, in Sokoto State, while the animal husbandry farm is situated in Dabagin-lafia, opposite the Usman Danfodio University farm.

While the 500 cow capacity pens and the cow milking parlour have both been finished, construction workers were visible at the 100 hectares of farmland where work was proceeding at the clinic and training centre building.

Ikonne said NALDA was partnering with Prime Ranch Ltd, which gave the 100 hectares of the property where the animal husbandry farm is being set up.

“The milking parlour will serve both the cows in the farm and other animal husbandry farmers who would want their cows milked in a hygienic way.

“Prime Ranch will manage the farm on completion based on their wealth of experience in animal husbandry. This type of partnership is sustainable, and productive and should be encouraged in order for us to achieve food security and development,” he said.

Ikonne stated that the establishment of the poultry feed mill would result in feed production for small farmers throughout the zone and the rest of the country.

During an inspection of both projects, the farms and the feed mill, Prime Ranch Ltd Founder Nafiu Yakubu stated that the partnership with NALDA was coming to fruition.