Nigeria spends N3.9 billion annually on importation of 95 percent dairy in the country in the form of powdered, evaporated, canned, sweetened, condensed milk and other dairy products.
The director-general of Raw Material Research and? Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Peter Onwualu? disclosed this at the weekend in Abuja during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)? between the council and Adamawa State on the establishment of a community based cattle breeding/upgrading and milk collection and processing centre, Yola .
According to Onwualu, the continued dependence on these products has not only affected the national economy through huge foreign expenditure estimated at N3.9 billion annually, but has also significantly slowed down the development of indigenous dairy industry.
He noted that even with the estimated 16 million heads of cattle in the country, 96 percent which is owned by semi-nomadic cattle rearers.?
“The herds are characterised by slow productivity linked to low genetic potential, non-availability and poor quality feed, disease, limited professional veterinary care and inappropriate milk collection and processing practicesm,” he said.
The RMRDC boss explained that the council, in order to reverse some of these negative trends, decided to get involved in the project which has led to the signing of the MoU between the two parties.
The Yola project, according to him, is well located in an area where cattle upgrading technology through Artificial Insemination (AI) has already been adopted and verified as successful with cattle across exhibiting high potentials for both production and productivity.
In his remark, the leader, community cattle upgrading and milk collection centre, Adamawa, Dr. Abdulrahman Tukur, who signed on behalf of the community, said the collaboration will help to develop.omy.
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