The National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) Zaria, Kaduna state and a company, SAJ Food Ltd, have sensitized no fewer than 2,500 pastoralists on artificial insemination and hygienic milking practices to enhance dairy production.
The beneficiaries were drawn from Kaduna, Kano and Katsina states
Sanusi Abubakar, Chief Executive Officer of the firm made the disclosure during an interactive session with newsmen on Wednesday in Zaria.
He added that the initiative was to reduce pastoralists’ migration towards taming farmers and herders clashes.
He said that the Backward Integration Policy of the federal government adopted by the company informed its decision to partner with the Institute and other key stakeholders.
Abubakar explained that under the programme, over 100 cooperative societies were registered, with a minimum of 25 members per cooperative.
He added that they were sensitized on the importance of the policy and they were subsequently organised into clusters and improved the local breeds, to enhance dairy production.
The CEO said that the programme had received additional support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, through its Aldine Project and World Banks’ Agro Processing Productivity Enhancement Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS)
He said the two partners supported the clusters and cooperatives with feeds, drugs and water for the cows.
He added:” To buttress this, the company has also created 100 hectares of pasture for the feeding the cows.
“While leveraging on the policy the company shifted from using imported powdered milk to locally sourced fresh milk m from the Fulani cows and other farmers, for the production of yoghurt and other dairy products.
“The collaboration has created an enabling environment and market for the products, with the view to stemming the social vices associated with the traditional hawking of the milk by Fulani women.”
According to him, the traditional system was abused across many places and it was one of the major hindrances to proper children’s upbringing by some mothers who hawk milk.
“The company is aggregating about 11,000 liters of milk from them on daily basis prior to the COVID-19.
“As part of the company’s corporate social responsibility, the Fulanis were also encouraged to go back to school and many children were enrolled into schools around Zaria.
“The company had also constructed four solar powered boreholes, in collaboration with the Aldine Project of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to ensure adequate water supply to the clusters,” Abubakar stated.
