Agric: 16m Cattle Contributes 40% Of Sector’s Input To GDP – Bukar Tijjani
Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Bukar Tijjani, has revealed that Nigeria has over 16 million heads of cattle which account for 40% of the sector’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
He said, “In the whole of agriculture, livestock accounts for up to 40% and in Nigeria we have about 16 million heads of cattle, 30 to 40 million of both sheep and goats and about 140 million flock of birds,” adding that official production gives about 700 metric tonnes per annum.
The minister made thisw comment while speaking with journalists at the 2nd Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN)/Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NAIS) joint annual meeting which started in Abuja on Monday with the theme: Industry Standards and Regulations , A Tool for improved Productivity in Animal Husbandry.
He said, “When we look at the livestock industry as a whole, as a subsector we realise that livestock contributes a lot to our GDP.”
Speaking on the four value chains started under the agricultural transformation agenda (ATA), he said: “Under the ATA we want to look at four value chains under the sub sector: these include beef - cattle, including sheep, goats and other small animals; poultry, diary and the hides and skin”
He asserted that Nigeria leather is one of the best in the world but that there is concern as it is eaten as food.
According to him, “We have been putting our heads with farmers and also consumers because in Nigeria we have a need for ‘Kpomo’ (hides/skin) but we have to very quickly make adjustments so that we can get our shoes and bags instead of taking it away by making it into delicacies.”
He added that Nigeria leather was being exported at the detriment of local tanneries and bag and shoe factories.
“So we have to look at this and that is why we have looked at these four value chains. Our thinking is that by 2015, these structures should be on ground and we should be able to move away from total dependency to self sufficiency.
Meanwhile NAIS president, Professor Placid Njoku, in his remarks said the meeting marked second occasion that animal science practitioners and other stakeholders were converging to discuss issues of great relevance to the institute and livestock sub sector.
He said as the statutory professional body for the regulation of animal science practices, the institute inducted 171 newly admitted animal scientists into its fold of full members Registered Animal Scientist (RAS), bringing the total to 1,541 while 514 young animal science graduates will be inducted into the corps of Graduate Animal Scientists (GAS).
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