Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A vital step has been taken to improve cattle health management in the dairy sector in Kano State and enhance the milk production level in the state.
Recently, the dairy business of Olam Food Ingredients, Outspan Nigeria Limited, partnered with some stakeholders in the sector like the Kano Dairy and Livestock Husbandry Cooperative Union (KADALCU) with over 70,000 smallholder dairy farmers to vaccinate 1,500 dairy cattle against foot and mouth disease in Dawakin Tofa local government area of Kano State.
Considering the deadly nature of the foot and mouth disease and its economic implication on dairy farmers business, the exercise forms a scaled approach at promoting the federal government’s policy on backward integration schemes in the dairy industry.
Flagging off the exercise, Mr Ahmed Adetunji, the Manager, Outspan, Kano, who represented Mr Vipin Patel, the National Sales Operations Manager, Olam, said, “We keep deepening our involvement in the local dairy value chain by engaging an extensive number of smallholder farmers to facilitate improve farming practices in the value chain, while we inject the necessary investment funds to expand local milk production.”
He further explained, “The vaccination exercise will remove constraints around dairy cattle health management which directly affects the cattle productivity level and by extension increases the quantity and quality of milk being produced locally.”
He added that, in addition to the recent insemination exercise on 1000 cows in the state, the opening of a new milk collection centre to preserve the quality of milk produce locally and the training of smallholder dairy farmers on the adoption of modern farming practices, all sponsored by the firm, the vaccination exercise against Foot and Mouth disease which is considered deadly among livestock, is expected to fast track the achievement of milk production self-sufficiency in the country.
Mr Usman Abdullahi Usman, the Chairman of the Kano Dairy Union, and Mr Celestine Ayok, a dairy consultant, who were present at the event thanked Outspan Nigeria Limited for its contribution to the growth aspirations of the dairy value chain.
According to them, proactiveness and a strong commitment to enhancing the primary activities along the value chain, which is being demonstrated by Outspan Nigeria Limited, is key to driving improved local milk production.
