“Goat rearing lucrative but capital intensive’
By Kehinde Oluwatayo
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Goat rearing has been described as a very lucrative business that can turn around the fortune of investors but requires time and fund.
Speaking with The Hope in an interview, Chairman of Sheep and Goat Association, Ondo state chapter, Mr Ehinola Folajimi said that investment in goat production will start to bring profit after two years.
Folajimi who noted that goat production requires a lot of fund stressed that it is a money spinning venture if enough money is invested in it.
According to him, South Africa has gone far in the development of goat production to the extent that one goat is sold between N150,000 and N350, 000 because of its size.
Apart from creating jobs through goat production, Folajimi said goat is one of the livestock that is healthy for consumption since it does not require any chemical to boost its production.
“At a time we were asked by officials of an organization that showed interest in borrowing us money if there was something we could do to make our animals mature fully in six months, we said nothing and they did not borrow us.
“The problem is that nobody is ready to invest for a long time before recouping his money, not even government be it state or federal. They want business that they will invest in and get their money back in three to six months.
“If you get to where goat is reared in South Africa, you will find a research centre on livestock with students taking lectures on research, restaurant, lodging, borehole among other things. They have developed goat production to the extent that people from other countries buy from them,” he stressed.
Folajimi stated that goat meat can be processed into can food and also packaged into other food products. He said the milk is also very good among other things that can be gotten from the animal.
According to him, the association has 23 cooperative bodies through which they raise money to assist their members since no one is ready to assist them.
While noting that the association is making progress in the state, he said the members have enough production to meet the demand of the people of the state adding that food sellers only prefer goat from the north for reasons best known to them.
He said the association sells goat to the people of the state for ceremonies like traditional engagement, coronation, burial which local animals are used for.
He called on government to assist the association in the area of funding to boost its production and create jobs for the teeming youths.