Akinloye Farinde, the dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University OAU, Ile-Ife, has urged the federal government to implement a dairy policy that will provide an enabling environment for local dairy farmers to thrive.

Mr Farinde gave the charge while speaking at a training on improving breeding, production and the genetics of the animal in the dairy value chain at OAU, Ile Ife, on Monday.

The training was organised by the Netherlands Universities Foundation for International Cooperation (Nuffic).

The theme of the training was ‘Strengthening Capacity for Institutional Staff & Lead Women along the Doing Value Chain in South Western Nigeria.’

Participants at the training include farmers, technologists and extension workers from FrieslandCampina WAMCO, OAU and Federal College of Animal Health Production and Technology, Ibadan.

Mr Farinde said such a policy system must be active and operative in the dairy value chain by assisting farmers in their production and marketing.

He noted that the programme was organised at the time that the nation needed improvement on the production of milk for human consumption.

He added that there were different challenges in animal production, especially rearing of cattle across the country, pointing out that the main challenge facing dairy production was the downstream sector of the value chain, which is the market.

Speaking, the training coordinator, Bukola Oyebamiji, explained that Nigeria could produce enough milk for consumption and export in the next five years with a proactive and consistent action plan.

“We went out to conduct a survey last year and we discovered that animals are still given two litres of milk in Nigeria, whereas in some developing countries, you see animals producing 25 litres of milk in a ditch,” stated Ms Oyebamiji. “But, within the dairy value chain and focusing 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.”

Ms Oyebamiji expressed optimism that “after this programme, our farmers and all the institutional staff will understand how to improve breeding, production and the genetics of the animal as well as to go more on practicals.”

(NAN)