By Fatima Muraina
Stakeholders in Ondo State livestock industry have called for the establishment of a dedicated Livestock Agency to coordinate policies, address sector-wide challenges and drive sustainable growth across the value chain.
They said such an agency would provide the institutional coordination needed to address feed production, breed improvement, conflict resolution, financing and security challenges in a structured manner.
According to them, with proper institutional backing, improved funding mechanisms and enhanced security support, the livestock sector could significantly boost food security, job creation and economic growth in the state.
The demand emerged at a stakeholders’ roundtable workshop organised by the Ondo State Agricultural Commodity Association (OSACA), which brought together livestock farmers, processors, security agencies and government officials, to discuss challenges in the sub-sector.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr. Leye Akinola represented by the Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Adebayo Ehinmowo, commended OSACA for convening the forum, describing it as a timely intervention to strengthen food security.
He noted that participants from various livestock value chains, including the Goat Association of Nigeria, piggery operators, processors and the National Butchers Association, attended the workshop.
He stressed that improving animal protein availability and ensuring the state produces what it consumes remain central to the government’s agricultural agenda, urging stakeholders to provide actionable recommendations to guide policy of the establishment of the agency
Ondo State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Mr. Adeniyi Benjamin, urged the state government, under Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, to align with the Federal Government’s vision, by establishing a dedicated state ministry for livestock production. Such a move, he said, would help unlock the full socio-economic potential of the livestock industry in the state.
The Director of Animal Husbandry Services, Mr Folusho Ojo, identified high feed costs, farmer–herder conflicts, and the low productivity of local breeds as key constraints limiting livestock development in Ondo State.
He said participants proposed solutions such as pasture establishment and increased fodder production to reduce herders’ movement in search of grazing land, a situation often linked to clashes.
Ojo urged farmers to invest in planting maize and soybeans and to produce their own feed ingredients to lower feed costs, rather than relying on expensive finished products.
He added that the state is aligning with federal livestock policies, including new breeding strategies aimed at improving animal genetics.
The representative of the Ondo State Project Coordinator, L-PRES, Mrs. Foluke Adegbulu encouraged farmers to adopt modern livestock management practices as a way of reducing spending on medication and increasing productivity.
She highlighted several intervention programmes her organisation has put in place to boost agricultural production, calling on farmers to take ownership of the facilities and interventions provided.
Continued on www.thehopenewspaper.com