Abuja sketches policy described as long overdue
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
A National Dairy Policy is being drafted that will reduce importation of livestock and livestock products as well as stimulate exports to beef up treasury revenue.
Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry Permanent Secretary, Ernest Umakhihe, disclosed at the National Diary Policy Validation workshop in Abuja that the draft policy will facilitate implementation of the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Plan (NATIP).
He described the workshop, which aims to boost Dairy Policy, as “long overdue”.
He added: “There has been a continuous drive towards meeting national sufficiency in dairy production to reduce the huge amount spent on importation of dairy products in order to bridge the huge gap between supply and demand.
“Successive Administrations had made efforts to close the gap through programmes such as Dairy Development Programme, National Livestock Breed Improvement Programme, among others thus creating opportunity for private sector participation.
“The draft policy will support the implementation of the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Plan (NATIP) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).”
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Dairy Policy
Umakhihe said the Dairy Policy will also drive the dairy industry where all players at whatever scale will be expected to abide by the rules of production, processing, and marketing of dairy products, per reporting by Nairametrics.
“This approach is to significantly reduce importation of livestock and livestock products and at the same time stimulate exports to enhance national income generation.
“The private sector will remain in the lead while the government will provide the enabling environment through policies, infrastructure, systems control processes and oversight support.”
The ministry’s Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry Services, Winnie Lai-Solarin, cited current issues which include low milk yield, poor handling, and post-harvest losses of dairy products.
“The National Dairy Policy will give the framework for improving the productivity of the dairy sector in a well-planned and sustainable manner across the various agro-ecological zones of the country,” she said.
