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Netherlands Universities Foundation for International Cooperation flags off two-week training for farmers at OAU

Netherlands Universities Foundation for International Cooperation (NUFFIC) has flagged-off a two-week dairy value chain training for farmers, technologists and extension workers drawn from FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife and Federal College of Animal Health Production and Technology, Ibadan.

The training is being organised for 20 participants trainers who would also train others in their various Institutions to improve breeding, production and genetics of the animals in diary value chain.

The theme of the training is “Strengthening Capacity for Institutional Staff & Lead Women along the Doing Value Chain in South Western Nigeria.”

Speaking at the opening of the programme, the training Coordinator, Dr Bukola Oyebamiji, said that Nigeria could produce enough milk for consumption and export in the next five years with planned, proactive, consistent and progressive actions.

Oyebamiji lamented the level of milk production in this nation with two litres of milk daily whereas developing countries were getting almost 25 litres of milk in a ditch.

“We went out to conduct survey last year and we discovered that animals are still giving two litres of milk, whereas in developing countries, you see animals producing 25 litres of milk in a ditch.

“But within the dairy value chain and focused on sustainable development, we will get a nexus between research, policy and practice in the dairy sector, for this is the only way to address the identified development gaps and move the country forward.

“And we believe that after this programme, our farmers and all the institutional Staff will understand how to improve breeding, production and the genetics of the animals,” she said, promising that they would focus more on practicals than theory.

The Guest Lecturer, Prof. Saidu Oseni, said that the United Kingdom and European Union in 2018 had similar projects on driving development with a focus on the value chains for poverty alleviation.

Oseni commended the former Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, who introduced the dairy value chain concept for all the commodities in agriculture, saying that this is essential to drive production for value and wealth creation.

He said that the agricultural transformation agenda had the value chain as a bedrock and if there would be positive change in milk production, a lot still needs to be done.

“The purpose of this workshop is to train the trainers about the benefits, relevance and ultimately how to apply the value chain concept in this case for reproduction.

“And all the wider ramifications in terms of income, value, product, diversification of enterprises would gain much in the value chain, if effectively applied.”

The lecturer gave credit to NUFFIC for the sponsorship of the workshop, saying that the participants were leaders in their own rights, who would go back to their institutions to train others about harnessing all the benefits and opportunities embedded in the dairy sector.

He said that this would create more jobs in terms and bring in more revenue across a broad spectrum of individuals across the society with a focus on women.

Also, a lecturer in Innovative Dairy Value Chain Management, Larenstein University, Netherlands, Miss Nyasha Ngirande, said that Larenstein University was a knowledge institution in the North and Southern Netherlands.

According to her, the University provides knowledge for international business and agricultural science for society, applied sciences and provides high quality research and skills acquisition for the benefit of humanity.

Ngirande asserted that the participants would benefit immensely from the innovations in the dairy value chain which are being brought to them in the training through interactive knowledge.

Earlier, the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, OAU, Prof Akinloye Farinde, said that the programme came at the right time that the nation needs improvement in the area of production of milk for human consumption.

Farinde said that there were different challenges facing animal production, especially rearing of cattle across the country.

He added that policy system must be active and sound in the dairy value chain in Nigeria and must assist farmers in their production and marketing.

He charged the Federal Government to rise up to its responsibility by implementing agricultural policies that would provide enabling and conducive environment for farmers on dairy production as other developing countries are doing.

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