BAUCHI – No fewer than 100 livestock farmers would benefit from the Federal Government’s Special Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme in Bauchi State, an official has said.
Alhaji Mohammed Yusuf, the Federal Director of Agriculture in the state, revealed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi on Wednesday.
The director said that farmers would be supported with inputs to fatten their cows for increase earnings through value addition.
He explained that the cattle-fattening programme was the initiative of the Federal Government for small holder cattle farmers, designed to equip them with the needed knowledge to make more money and attract others farmers.[eap_ad_2]
Yusuf told NAN that under the scheme, each farmer would receive 10 bags of 50 kg fattening concentrate and two blocks of 5 kg salt licks at 50 per cent discount.
He stated that the federal and state governments would pay the remaining 50 per cent.
According to him, meat is the most-patronised product in the country, and having reflected on the dynamics of the market, there is the need to boost the industry.
“The good thing is that the farmers would be provided with inputs to fatten their cattle, and they would also be linked to a stable market; that way, nobody runs at a loss. “
Yusuf said that the beef value chain was intended to increase beef supply in the market by 650,000 tonnes every year.
According to him, the fattening programme also intends to increase the national average weight of cattle from 250kg to 350kg by 2015. (NAN)[eap_ad_3]