How To Improve Livestock Farming In Nigeria

Most people already know the issue of Nigeria on the issue of Agriculture. Am going to discuss on how to improve livestock farming in Nigeria. Therefore endeavor to read this post to the very end.

To meet with the country’s demand of livestock animal’s protein. The livestock population of about 20million cattle, 21 million sheep and 30 million goats in the nation, needs improvement. Investing in this sector will do the work.

Below are the very possible ways on how to improve livestock farming in Nigeria.

1. Empowerment and Enlightenment Programmes

Most people like young prospects entrepreneurs wants to enter into livestock farming sector. But they lack knowledge, education, innovation and technical know how that will help them for improving their livestock’s productivity.

Here is the reason why these empowerment or enlightenment programmes should be created and also funded by the government.

Also some private organisations that look forward to the future of Nigeria Agriculture should assist too.

This is because lack of knowledge and technical know how will definitely lead to a massive loss of income and capital.

Giving attention to the Fulani herds men and other rural livestock farmers for their lack of education will empower them. It will make them achieve greater heights in this sector of farming too.

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2. Government Support

There is need for the government to give its support to the farmers consistently and whenever necessary. This will boost the faster development of livestock farming in Nigeria.

Government should provide good infrastructures in various places in other to aid the growth of the livestock farming sector.

Infrastructures like good roads, water supply, electricity and so on will at least improve the current level of productivity.

3. Adoption of modern Livestock farming methods

Government should persuade the rural livestock farmers and fulani herds men, to adopt the modern technologies and innovations. This I strongly believe will boost their productivity too.

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The old or traditional farming methods have been the setback to the farmers meeting the demand for livestock animal protein.

So therefore, livestock farmers needs to be encouraged to take part in biotechnology techniques. This will improve the breed of their cattle by artificial insemination and so increase productivity.

4. Settling the nomads

One of the best solutions of improving cattle farming in Nigeria is for the government to settle the nomads.

Since it’s the tradition of Fulani nomads to rear cattle, they control more than 90% of the cattle in Nigeria.

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This does not give any other individual the chance to take part in this livestock farming.

So efforts should be made by the government to settle them so as to give other people the opportunity.

With this, the cattle will be easily accessible to the veterinarians and livestock scientists.

This will force the nomads to part in the modern agricultural practices and thus expose them to its new technologies too. If we can achieve this, there is no doubt that there will be improvement in milk and meat production in Nigeria.

5. Provision of Livestock Feeds and Nutrition

If there is good investment into the livestock feed and nutrition production by the government in Nigeria. Then there will be improvement in livestock farming sector.

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Because of low and poor quality feed produced around hidden sectors. It is crippling and damaging the development of livestock farming in the nation.

For example, because of lack of raw materials and green pastures in certain places. Most feed producers will reduce the values in production.

They want to make a lot of profits and thus produce a feed containing less than 6% of protein.

This low protein content will not meet the nutritional demands of animals, therefore, weight gain by the animals isn’t sufficient. Livestock animals that feed on these low quality content will provide us with low quality meat and milk.

So for the improvement to take place in livestock farming in this country, there is need for proper attention. And also, there is need to reduce the cost of feed so farmers can afford them.

6. Provision of Livestock Health Care Plan

7. Livestock research

Livestock farmers should also be encouraged to carry out these biotechnological techniques developed by the research institutes over the country.

This will help to improve the animal breeding by means of artificial insemination.

The government should endeavor to empower these Research institutes to find and contain livestock animal diseases without causing damage.

And also help them with all the needed assistance in the production of vaccine to eradicate the diseases forever.

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8. Livestock credits

Banks should provide credits to these entrepreneurs or livestock farmers. This can be done by the government enforcing this law.

And by so doing, livestock farming productivity will be improved.

Like we already know, Nigerian banks hardly gives out loans to individuals with great vision talk more of rural livestock farmer or even Fulani herders.

Efforts should be made in other to grant loans to the livestock farmers so as to help them increase productivity. And also to assist them in getting all the needed equipments and facilities for maximum productivity.

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This will also reduce unemployment rate in Nigeria and also make investors to enter into this livestock farming sector.

With all the information I have provided in this post, I believe to have given you the possible ways on how to improve Livestock farming in Nigeria. Never forget to give us feedback with the comment box below.