EKITI GOVERNMENT RECEIVES KUDOS FROM MINISTER OF LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT, MAIHA, FOR COMMITMENT TO LIVESTOCK PRODUCTIVITY.

EKITI GOVERNMENT RECEIVES KUDOS FROM MINISTER OF LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT, MAIHA, FOR COMMITMENT TO LIVESTOCK PRODUCTIVITY.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Muktar Maiha, has commended the Governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, for his efforts in the development of the livestock sector in the State.

The Minister, who was on a two-day visit to the State, made this known yesterday at an interactive session with youths participating under the Ekiti State Broiler Production Scheme (EBOPS) at the Livestock Development Centre, Erinfun, Ado-Ekiti.

The Minister commended the Governor for the brilliant EBOPS initiative, under which youths are trained and also seeded from the profit realised through the programme. He described the initiative as scalable and worthy of emulation by other sub-nationals. He said he would engage the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture on how to support graduates of the scheme, who are organised into cooperatives, to continue production.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade, explained the methodology behind EBOPS and disclosed that the youths have raised over 300,000 birds from Day-Old Chick (DOC) to table size, with mortality of less than 3%.

He applauded the L-PRES programme for supporting the construction of 30,000-capacity poultry pens each in Emure, Igede, and Ikole, noting that this will position Ekiti as the largest broiler-producing State in Nigeria within the next two years. He added that the construction of a 2,000 birds-per-day Broiler Processing Plant at Ilokun will ensure that the value chain is optimised end-to-end for more job creation.

The Minister also reflected on his visit to Ikun Dairy Farm, the largest in Nigeria at the moment, which is potentially positioned to produce cheese and butter from its 6,000 litres-per-day milk production capacity.

The Minister expressed satisfaction with the status of the Livestock Processing Hub at Ilokun, particularly the modern dual-purpose abattoir.

On Wednesday, the Minister, with the Governor of the State ably represented by the Chief of Staff, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, commissioned the modern Veterinary Clinic at Odo Ado. The clinic is furnished with modern animal medical equipment, with ambulatory services for emergency care, especially in the hinterland.