Sahel Consulting has trained 11,099 dairy farmers in Plateau State in good dairy practices under the Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) programme.
Mr Temi Adegoroye, National Team Lead of Sahel Consulting, disclosed this on Wednesday in Jos at the close-out ceremony of the ALDDN programme.
Adegoroye said the programme was designed to strengthen local dairy production, improve productivity and nutrition, empower women dairy farmers and enhance the livelihoods of smallholder dairy households.
“ALDDN has created systems to support the formalisation of Nigeria’s dairy sector and reduce its dependence on imported dairy products,” he said.
He added that the programme had supported smallholder dairy farmers with knowledge, infrastructure and market linkages to improve local milk production.
Adegoroye said 11,175 dairy farmers were enrolled in the milk supply chain in Plateau, while 426 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) were consolidated into 67 cooperatives.
The programme also facilitated the establishment of 70 solar-powered boreholes to support dairy communities.
He said 13,539 beneficiaries received training in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and nutrition, while more than 100 radio sessions were conducted in the state to promote awareness of dairy production, nutrition and related issues.
Adegoroye noted that the programme facilitated the supply of 2,259,916 litres of fresh milk by Smallholder Service Providers (SSPs), valued at more than ₦903.9 million.
He said 312 bank accounts were opened for farmers and actively used for milk payments and small businesses, with 91 per cent of payments made through digital transactions.
According to him, 20,129 cows were vaccinated against Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and treated, while 115 cows were inseminated, resulting in 24 crossbred calves.
More than 654 hectares of pastureland were established, and eight veterinarians, eight artificial insemination technicians and 52 Community Livestock Workers were trained and engaged.
Mr Bitrus Hosea, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Livestock Development and Veterinary Services, commended Sahel Consulting for the impact of the ALDDN programme in the state.
Hosea said the programme had contributed to strengthening dairy production and improving farmers’ capacity to adopt better practices. He urged beneficiaries to sustain the knowledge and interventions provided to ensure continued improvement in the dairy sector.
Some beneficiaries also commended Sahel Consulting for the programme’s impact on their dairy activities.
Mr Aliyu Salleh, a beneficiary, said the programme taught farmers how to cultivate grasses for their cattle and adopt improved milking practices.
“We were taught how to grow grasses for our cows and how to milk our cows. The training has helped us improve our dairy practices, as the milk production of my cows improved and my revenue also increased,” he said.
Mrs Vou Habits, another beneficiary, said the programme had improved her farming skills and strengthened her capacity to manage her dairy activities.
The ALDDN programme commenced in 2019 and was originally designed to run for five years but was extended to six years. The close-out ceremony marked the completion of the six-year programme, which was implemented across Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Adamawa and Taraba states.
The programme was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented by Sahel Consulting in partnership with state governments and dairy processors.
