By Victoria Ojeme
ABUJA: The total value of the nation’s livestock resources, including the stock of cattle,  poultry and diary products, among others has been estimated to  be worth N65billion.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Professor Shiekh Ahmad  Abdullah, made this known, weekend during the National Feed Millers Summit, held   in Ibadan .

The Minister, who declared the Summit opened, also disclosed that, agriculture still remains the largest contributor to the national economy with   42% of the Gross Domestic Product  (GDP), among other indices.

According to Professor Abdullah, represented by the Deputy Director,  Livestock  Development, Alhaji Lawal Sanda, The total value  of the national  livestock resource is  estimated at over N65 billion. Infact, this could be  quadrupled if the livestock industry is  supported through the provision of  appropriate structures and technology as well as necessary  regulations.|

The Nigerian Agricultural sector still remains the largest contributor to the  Nigerian economy, accounting for over 42% of the GDP and 38% of non_oil foreign  exchange earnings, he  added.

To further buttress the above indices, the Minister stated that, the nation’s  agriculture also,  employs over 70% of the active labour force of the population. The sector is greatly endowed  with the livestock sub_sector contributing 2.67%   of the GDP and providing livelihood to over 30% of the Nigerian rural  population.

At the present, the livestock sub_sector contributes about 20% of the national  income derived from agricultural production and also provides about 80% of the  total meat consumed in the  country,”he added.

The Minister however noted the need for a paradigm shift from the current overwhelming  reliance on the current traditional pastoral system of livestock  management to a technologically driven system, if the nation’s agriculture is to  rank among the top 20 in 2020.

In his remarks, President of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, Professor Placid  Njoku, spoke of efforts by the Institute at upgrading the standards of the nation’s feed  industry.

He said, the nation’s feed industry has grown in the last five years at an  average rate of  20% annually to a total of 2 million metric tonne per annum,  adding that, the feed industry at  the above rate of growth has the capacity to  stimulate over 40% of additional livestock  activities and associated employment  in feed ingredient marketing, livestock processing,   among others.