By Roseline Okakah

Ondo State Government has trained over 300 livestock farmers on alternative feed sources and feed ingredients for profit maximization.

In his opening remark, Chairman of the palliative and strategy implementation committee and Commissioner for Finance, Mr Wale Akinterinwa said the training was to curb the cost of feed challenge being faced by farmers and to encourage them on the purchase of livestock.

Akinterinwa who was represented by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Agric and Agric business, Pastor Akin Olotu said the training was organised to empower livestock farmers on how to maximize their profit by formulating feeds themselves and to source for alternative feeds for livestock.

He said the first phase of the feed palliatives has been distributed and that farmers should be expecting the second and third phase, saying that farmers should accept whatever is given to them because it is just palliative to relieve the hard condition occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.

According to him, government is also looking into transportation issue where it has purchased some tricycles for distribution for easy transportation of Agricultural goods to urban centers.

While calling on the people to invest in Agricultural production, particularly livestock production, Akinterinwa observed massive investment in hotel business and event centers which he said are not as better as going into cow production.

In their goodwill messages, the heads and chairmen of livestock commodity associations like poultry, goat and sheep, fishery, pigs and others appreciated government for the initiative to improve their economic situation and making them remain in business.

Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria, Southwest zone, Rev’d Gideon Oluleye, said the enthusiasm of the participants showed their seriousness to drive production of feed in the state.

He expressed that the training was a robust one which is beneficial to farmers unlike what they experienced in other states.

“The impact of the programme is exceptional because cost of feed production is beyond the reach of the people.

Describing it as a radical departure, Oluleye applauded the government for the tricycles to be distributed, saying it is a special gesture to assist farmers.

State chairman, Ondo state Agricultural Commodity Association (OSACA), Mr Gbenga Obawaya, represented by Mr Ademola Akinbobade said the association is doing its best towards uniting farmers to work as a team and urged participants to replicate what they learnt to others.

Others who spoke include the Co-ordinator of Small scale women farmers organization in Nigeria, (SWOFON), Mrs Oyediji Grace, Chairmen, Association of fisheries and Aquaculture of Nigeria, Ven. Joseph Ilesanmi among many others.