BAUCHI – No fewer than 160 sheep and goat farmers have benefited from the Federal Government’s Growth Enhancement Support scheme (GES) in Bauchi.
Alhaji Mohammed Yusuf, the Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the state, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Bauchi.
Yusuf said that under the scheme, each farmer received 100kg of concentrate feeds at 50 per cent discount.
He added that 10mg of acaricides (de-wormer), 10 bolus of endoparasites and a block of salt lick were given to each farmer free.
According to him, the sheep and goats value chain scheme is designed to boost commercial animal farming to ensure self-sufficiency in animal protein by increasing the quantity of animal production.
“The Federal Government is fully committed to ensuring self-sufficiency in food production and animal protein through sheep and goats value chain.
“Government is also determined through this programme to introduce the farmers to necessary animal healthcare for improved productivity and production of small ruminants,’’ he said.
Yusuf said that sheep and goats contributed 32 per cent of meat output in Nigeria, compared to 22 per cent from cattle, in addition to being sources of foreign exchange earnings for the country.
“Intensification and commercialisation of sheep and goats production in the country has not been given required attention due to the problems of diseases, dry season feeding, poor management and challenges of ecto-and endoparasites.[eap_ad_2]
“The Federal Government through the Sheep and Goats Value Chain hoped to improve household incomes and food security.
“This could be achieved through improved performance and paradigm shift of Sheep and Goat sector in Nigeria from subsistence level production to viable and profitable commercial enterprise by 2015.’’
The director said that if successful, the Sheep and Goats Value Chain would create additional 450,000 new jobs by 2015.
According to him, the chain will also supply 10 per cent additional quality skins to the leather industry for processing and export to earn foreign exchange.
He said that efforts were also being made to link sheep and goats farmers’ cooperative societies with finance institutions to enhance their ability to obtain financing and expand activities.
Yusuf called on the farmers to make the best use of the gesture to produce quality animals as well as increase income generation to improve their standard of living. (NAN)[eap_ad_3]