May 20, 2024

 

Experts advocate for increased local inputs in Nigeria's livestock feed production

 

 


For Nigeria to achieve a thriving livestock industry, experts emphasised the need to boost local inputs in animal feed production, Business Day reported.

 

Despite recent expansions in Nigeria's livestock sector, the animal feed market still heavily relies on imported raw materials. This concern was highlighted by stakeholders during the establishment of a multi-stakeholder platform (MSP) for feed and fodder in Nigeria.

 

The event was organised by the African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

 

Experts called for a functional roadmap to create a registered, efficient, and sustainable livestock sector, focusing on improving the quality and hygiene of raw milk. They stressed the importance of investing in commercial fodder production and urged collaboration and support from both local and international actors to enhance competitiveness in feed production through private sector investments.

 

An efficient MSP has the potential to catalyse positive changes across the country's livestock value chain. Tunde Amole, country representative of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), noted that Nigeria spends substantial foreign exchange on importing animal feed ingredients such as corn, soybean, and wheat to meet domestic production needs.

 

Amole highlighted that Nigeria imports millions of tonnes of animal feed and raw materials annually, primarily for cattle, poultry, and swine production. To address this, he urged for increased independence in sourcing raw materials for animal feed production to mitigate supply concerns and ensure sustainable development.

 

Expanding farmed land for intensive grass and animal feed production would help reduce production costs and tackle challenges in livestock production. Reducing feed production costs requires collective efforts, including adopting emerging technologies, fostering innovation, sharing knowledge, forming partnerships, and creating an enabling environment.

 

The ILRI country representative said that the dairy cattle industry is a primary income source for cattle raisers. He urged stakeholders to improve feed quality and availability and to enhance the dairy sector by producing forages and roughages.

 

Rabe Mani, a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organisation, noted that Nigeria's agricultural landscape heavily relies on both crop production and livestock keeping, essential for many Nigerians' livelihoods. Mani pointed out that fluctuating and rising prices, which account for 60-70% of livestock production costs, hinder industry growth.

 

Mani urged stakeholders to utilise the MSP to implement a roadmap for achieving competitiveness in animal feed production. He noted that the MSP's establishment is timely, as increasing animal feed production costs pose a threat to all industry actors.

 

-      Business Day

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