The National Sheep and Goat Development Association of Nigeria (NASHGODAN) has urged the government to establish community-based feed banks nationwide to give farmers easier access to affordable, quality feed.
The association’s National President, Abdullateef Ahmed, made the call in an interview with reporters in Abuja on Friday.
He spoke against the backdrop of rising livestock feed costs.
Ahmed called for collaboration among all tiers of government, financial institutions, development partners, feed manufacturers and research institutions to develop sustainable solutions.
He said Nigeria could make significant progress towards affordable livestock feed by combining government support with private-sector investment.
According to him, such collaboration would ensure sheep and goat farmers could obtain adequate, safe and nutritious feed at prices that allow them to remain in business.
He recommended that the government promote locally available feed resources, establish community-based feed banks, encourage fodder production, and improve feed storage and preservation.
“Government should support the feed, empower the farmers, strengthen livestock production and secure Nigeria’s food future,” he said.
Ahmed described livestock feed as one of the most important factors determining the productivity, profitability and sustainability of livestock businesses.
He said access to affordable, nutritious and readily available feed was essential for healthy growth, reproduction and quality meat production.
However, he noted that rising and sometimes unstable feed and raw material costs were a major concern for farmers across the country.
According to him, feed prices in early October varied considerably depending on location, supplier, quality, quantity purchased and transportation costs.
He said rising costs posed a serious challenge to the sustainability of sheep and goat farming and, if not addressed, could weaken smallholder farmers.
He added that the situation could discourage young people from livestock farming, reduce the supply of market-ready animals and put pressure on food affordability.
Speaking about the impact, Ahmed said increasing costs affected farmers in several ways, including economically.
“Smallholder farmers, who constitute an important part of Nigeria’s sheep and goat production system, are particularly vulnerable.
“Sheep and goats provide meat, income, employment, manure and security to households in Nigeria. They also play an important role during festive periods.
“When feed becomes too expensive, farmers will reduce the quantity offered to their animals. This can lead to poor growth, reduced reproduction, greater vulnerability to disease, increased mortality and lower profits,” he said.
He said other impacts included increased production costs, slower growth, lower market weights and reduced participation by women and young farmers.
He added that the high costs could contribute to increased mortality among young animals, higher prices for meat and other livestock products, and threats to national food security.
Ahmed identified high prices of maize and soybean, transportation and distribution costs, and seasonal shortages of pasture and fodder as major factors behind rising feed costs.
He said the association was committed to working with the government and other stakeholders to address the challenges.
The association would identify and mobilise farmers, organise training and support community feed-bank development as part of its contribution, he said.
According to Ahmed, it would also collect information on feed prices, promote youth and women’s participation, and evaluate and monitor government interventions to ensure public investments delivered measurable benefits to livestock farmers.
