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Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government has commenced the screening of 500 pastoralists for animal feed loan as part of effort to improve livestock production in the State.
The Project Consultant for the loan, Dr Usman Rambo, confirmed this on Tuesday while speaking with newsmen during the screening of beneficiaries at Gesse-Bayaro- Hutawa settlements in Birnin Kebbi.
Rambo explained that the project was designed to improve local milk and enhance livestock production in the state.
According to him, ‘the animal feeds loan is a project of the State Government through the Ministry of Animal Health, Husbandry and Fisheries.
‘The project targets 500 beneficiaries from pastoralist communities, and is aimed at improving local milk and enhance livestock production in the State,’ Rambo said.
He explained that each of the beneficiaries would be granted livestock production inputs worth N288,000, adding that the loan would be repaid with two liters of fresh milk daily within 20 months.
‘The milk collectors will be provided with motorcycles and milk cans to collect and transport the fresh milk to livestock investigation and breeding centre at Bulasa, in Birnin Kebbi LGA for processing.
‘Each beneficiary will be given the following inputs: 35 bags of wheat, 5 bags of cotton seat, 3 block of salt licks, drugs and vaccines and 50,000 cash for roughages, among others,’ the consultant explained.
Earlier, the Director of Animal Husbandry in the Ministry, Dr Ahmed Umar-Ambursa, said that the milk collection and processing project was under the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS) piloted by the State Government.
Ambursa appealed to the beneficiaries to appreciate the gesture and ensure that they utilise the opportunity for the success and sustainability of the project.
