Governor Uba Sani has promised that his administration will improve the livestock industry, bridge infrastructure deficit, facilitate access to markets and attract investment.

The governor disclosed that Arla Farms has invested €10 million to establish state-of-the-art Arla Farms in Damau Household Milk Farm located at Kubau local government area in 2023.

Represented by the Secretary to Kaduna State Government, Dr AbdulKadir Muazu Meyere at the Arla-Dano Open Day on Wednesday, he further said that Arla Farms targets ‘’a 4–5 million kg milk output target at full capacity annually.’’

According to the governor, there has been a boost in local milk production as well as creating of local direct and indirect jobs at Arla Farms since his administration came on board.

Governor Uba Sani recalled that his Government has instituted a strong institutional framework to ensure the sustainability, expansion and investment in the agricultural sector.

‘’In the livestock subsector, Kaduna State has the Kaduna State Livestock Regulatory Authority (KADLRA), the Kaduna State Livestock Transformation Company, and the Kaduna Ranch Development Company, all of which are designed to work in synergy,’’ he added.

The governor expressed delight to be part of the unveiling of “the Nigeria Dairy Center of Excellence, the Sedentarization and Climate change Resilience in Nigeria (SCREEN) Project, as well as commissioning of a yoghurt factory.”

According to him, the initiatives will complement the efforts of his administration in empowering smallholder farmers by equipping them with modern techniques and technologies to improve milk yield and quality as well as and supporting local milk sourcing “which translates into more income for our farmers, more jobs for our youth, and more nutritious products for our people.”

“We hope that the multistakeholder collaboration that birthed the Damau Milk Farm Project will not only help in revamping the project but also galvanize sustainable economic growth in the dairy value chain in Nigeria, with Kaduna State in the lead,’’ he said.

Speaking at the occasion, the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, noted that the Arla Farm is a result of the Federal Government`s policy on local content development/backward integration.

The minister who represented President Bola Tinubu, commended the officials of the Federal Government, the Kaduna State Government, and Arla for this win-win initiative.

He lamented that Nigeria currently produces only about 0.7 million litres of milk annually, which is far below the amount required to meet the nutritional needs of its population.

“Our average per capita consumption of 8.7 million litres of milk per year is not only well below the global average but also alarmingly lower than the World Health Organisation’s recommended intake of 210 litres per person annually.

“At the farm level, the productivity gap is just as stark; the average milk yield of our indigenous cows is only 0.5 to 1.5 litres per day, compared to the global average of 6.6 litres.

“Furthermore, the country spends over $1.5 billion annually importing milk and dairy products, despite having millions of cattle and capable producers. This is a paradox that we must correct,” he promised.

According to Alhaji Idi Mukhtar, the Ministry of Livestock Development was established to unlock the potential of Nigeria’s livestock value chains, reduce our dependence on imports, mitigate farmer-herder conflicts, and ensure nutrition and prosperity for our citizens.

“Today, that vision is taking shape through investments such as the Arla Farm, as well as collaborations and reforms that are already yielding results,” he said.

The minister noted that “the Damau area is becoming the dairy hub of Nigeria, thanks to its key dairy interventions, including the Arla Farm, owned by Arla, the Damau Household Milk Farm, and the Dairy Development projects.’’

He explained that the Damau Household Milk Farm which was initiated by the Kaduna State Government, is being implemented in collaboration with investors and development partners.

The Minister said that the collaboration involves “the settlement of 1,000 households and the provision of basic production items, such as improved cows, pasture, veterinary services, and other social amenities.”

“Arla serves as the off-taker of milk from the cows. To ensure resounding success, the Danish Government is sponsoring two dairy development projects that are building the capacity of local producers and improving their livelihoods.

“One of the projects, Partnership for Green and Productive Dairy in Nigeria, has the objective of entrenching climate-resilient dairy production amongst Damau Household Milk Farm beneficiaries.

“The second Project, tagged Sedenterization and Climate Change Resilience in Nigeria, is to study and document the learnings of the Damau Household Milk Farm,” he added.