By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja

As part of the recent Summit On National Livestock Transformation Plan co-Organized by Federal Ministry Of Agriculture and Rural Development and Agriculture Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria, ACAN, experts called on government to boost sheep and goat value chain for job creation for Nigerians and export.

Experts said it is imperative to focus on the sheep and goat value chain as part of unlocking potential in the livestock industry, and added that the value chain has been neglected over the years.

They tasked government at all levels to collaborate with stakeholders along the value chains to increase productivity and healthy consumption of the products.

The recommendations include; Construction of low-cost elevated goat house and other ancillaries as support sheep and goat farmers in areas with comparative advantage for sheep and goat production; Support in capacity enhancement on improved sheep and goat production system for increased productivity; Support to development of a new niche market through the popularization of goat milk; Support to means of earning foreign exchange in the international market for sheep and goat skins through increased production output; Linking value chain actors with finance institutions for credit facility to expand operations; and Monitoring and Evaluation on all the interventions.

Read Also:

Livestock summit stands to tackle protracted challenges — Abubakar

Agric Ministry, ACAN Livestock Summit’ll address NLTP’s misconceptions ― Official

Benue herdsmen attacks: Two NSCDC, one livestock personnel killed, another shot

They also pointed the economic benefits Nigerians will experience which include, Creation of additional jobs for actors along the sheep and goat value chain; Strengthening the capacity of sheep and goat farmers/producers to increase production on sound animal husbandry practices and standards;      and support to improvement of sheep and goat meat processing in the abattoirs and slaughter slabs by providing link to finance for mini abattoir and standard retail shop development for the supply of wholesome meat to Nigerian and international markets

However, the Department of Animal Husbandry Services of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, acknowledged that the Nigerian sheep and goat sub-sector is largely unorganized leading to their potentials for animal protein supply and economic venture remaining largely untapped despite their being raised in almost all households in Nigeria’s rural and urban fringes.

It added that to make the sheep and goat value chain more responsive to national needs of increased household incomes and foreign exchange earnings, it is providing enabling environment by developing strategies under the National Sheep and Goat Development Programme, NSGDP, to shift sheep and goat from subsistence level production into viable and profitable commercial enterprise through partnership with and among Sheep and Goat Farmers’ Cooperative Societies, Sheep and Goat Farmers’ Associations, Universities, Research Institutes, Communities, Women Sheep and Goat groups, and Private and Non-Government Organizations.

Vanguard News Nigeria