By Adeola Badru

To ensure expansion in the value chain and creation of more robust economic activities that will facilitate livestock trading geared towards a sustainable agribusiness development, stakeholders have identified tax reduction, livestock census, capacity building, and adequate security as wayout to improve livestock development in the country.

The participants brainstorming during a one-day workshop by the Oyo State Agricultural  Development Agency, OYSADA in collaboration with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) on the theme: “Developing evidence-based plans, policies, and investment options in the livestock sector” and hosted by the members of the Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association and other critical stakeholders, decried the situation the country had to rely on importation of livestock from neighbouring states to feed its people, while urging  for commercial livestock production.

Held at the International Conference Centre of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), yesterday, the Executive Adviser on Agribusiness to Oyo State governor, Dr Debo Akande, while addressing journalists at the event, said the agency is recording consistent success story on its mandate as the state now ranks first as largest producer of raw milk in the entire south west Africa with about 40, 000 litre of raw milk production extracted from cow per day.

He explained that the agency had to come up with clear strategy document that will guide government on its agribusiness policy direction and action plan to fit the modern approach to livestock production value chain for optimum economic gains which will enable smallholder farmers thrive in their farming businesses.

Dr Akande hinted that the action and direction of present government is yielding results as statistics recently released by NASE, indicated that between 2019 and 2020, the crop production is higher than what was produced in 2013 while the size of land the state is cultivating for five crops cumulatively has grown by 40 acres of land.

He said: “The essence of the workshop today is to bring together all the actors and enablers on livestock. Often time when we talk about agriculture, the focus is on crops and we think it is high time we must start engaging ourselves around livestock.”

“We’ve also realised that beyond the general strategy that we have agribusiness and agriculture in the state, we don’t have specific strategy document on livestock. We need to review what the policies are to see how those policies can benefit the state on the modern approach to livestock production.”

Also speaking, the Country Director for International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Nairobi, Kenya, Dr.Tunde Adegoke Amole, who is also the technical partner with OYSADA on Agribusiness in Oyo State, condemned decried the culture of importing livestock for local consumption.

While commending Governor ‘Seyi Makinde for creating the enabling agribusiness environment in the state he also charged policy makers and government particularly in Oyo state, to ensure improved measures are put in place to encourage local livestock production, expanded value chain, employment generation, and eventually, increased internally generated revenue for the state.

In his words: “When talking about livestock generally, people are of the opinion that it is not a thing of the south-west, they always think is an occupation for the Fulani people, they thought of people from somewhere else, but I can tell you we have livestock from the state.”

“In fact apart from Lagos the highest level for point of consumption of livestock is Oyo State, so we are looking at if the people of the state are consuming livestock at such, they should also have the capacity to produce livestock, gone are the days they say our climate is not supporting livestock production, things have changed in the state, livestock business is growing in the state.”

“The dairy farmers here just confirmed that they collected 40,000 litres of milk and that is from Oyo state alone, and that is the largest in all over West Africa as a whole, so we are here to discuss how to develop a road map for the livestock business in order to develop a milestone and a strategic development to determine where we are as far as livestock production is concerned in the state.” Dr Amole said.

Also, two of the participants, a lecturer from the department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, Professor Olugbenga Ogunwole and a General Manager of a diary food production company, Adekunle Olayiwola, in their separate remarks, lamented the totality of various levies charged at different level of government in form of taxes saying over taxing of food items would unnecessarily push up the cost which would always have negative effect on household finances.

Earlier, the Deputy Director General, IITA,Dr Ken Dashiell, represented by Zaina Sore, described the conference as timely in view of population growth, calling on government to put Infrastructure in place and right technology for livestock sector to meet the needs of the people

The programme which had in attendance academia, livestock farmers, investors, researchers, and policy makers, Miyetti Allah association provided an opportunities for stakeholders to brainstorm and fashion out ways for better livestock production for improved IGR for the state.