By Cynthia Alo 

Amid a worrying deficit in local milk and meat production which fuels dependency on import of livestock products, URUS Group is pushing forward a suite of innovations to boost local production to meet nutritional demands.

Country Manager of the firm, Adekunle John, speaking at the just concluded Vanguard Economic Discourse, said despite Nigeria having one of the largest cattle populations in Africa, productivity remains disappointingly low with average milk yield at just one to two litres per cow daily, far below the 30 to 50 litres recorded in Europe and the United States.

This, Adekunle noted, can be improved through genetics process, the organization’s area of expertise, which involves deploying artificial insemination and breeding technologies to enhance herd quality and output. 

He informed that the company operates in 36 countries and has built a global database tracking over nine million cows, a model it now seeks to replicate in Nigeria as part of efforts to modernise the sector.

He cited poor data system in the livestock sector, noting that countries such as Brazil, Uganda and Kenya have been successful leveraging data strength. 

“If we want to succeed in this country, we must take data seriously. I’ve worked in this industry for over 26 years, and the biggest problem we have is data. The action has already started, it has to be backed up with data”, he said. 

 He disclosed that the organisation is also investing in training and extension services such as developing artificial insemination technicians and farmer education in response to the capacity challenge in artificial insemination process. 

He stated further: “There are limited number of trained personnel which is why capacity building is critical. Yes, we are here to do business, but beyond that, we want improved animal productivity, train Artificial Insemination (AI) technicians to ensure food security in the country.

“We are collaborating with breeding centers and support AI technicians. We are also working with farmers to improve their skills. At the same time, we are making our services affordable and accessible”.

Adekunle added that the company which has been around for over a year has recorded measurable progress that included trading of 120 animals across Abuja, Kano, Oyo, Osun, and more states. 

He explained further, “We now have over 500 farmers who are breeders. Some farms already have up to 160 calves each. These farmers are equally raising next generation of improved livestock locally so we don’t have to import from Europe or Brazil. Conception rates have equally surged to 64.62 per cent from a previous five per cent. 

“This is a real Nigerian success story. It’s happening in rural communities. We are working with smallholder farmers and getting real results”.