In a bid to reduce the importation of dairy products, scale up its local production as well as marketing in the country, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, organized a workshop aimed at harvesting the inputs of relevant stakeholders for the purpose of enriching the National Diary Policy for Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, at the opening of the National Diary Policy Validation workshop in Abuja, on Tuesday, January 12, described the National Dairy Policy as apt and articulate, which is in accordance with the vision of the Federal Government for the dairy industry.
”There has been a continuous drive towards meeting national sufficiency in dairy production to reduce the huge amount spent on importation of dairy products in order to bridge the huge gap between supply and demand.
”Successive Administrations had made efforts to close the gap through programmes such as Dairy Development Programme, National Livestock Breed Improvement Programme, among others thus creating opportunity for private sector participation.
According to him, ” The draft policy will support the implementation of the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Plan (NATIP) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).
”It will give defined direction for the country’s dairy industry where all players at whatever scale will be expected to abide by rules of operation, in terms of production, processing, and marketing of dairy products in Nigeria”.
Earlier, Winnie Lai- Solarin, the Director, Department of Animal Husbandry Services, Ministry of Agriculture, said that the role of the dairy industry could not be overemphasized as far as quality nutrition and overall food security was concerned.
She noted that the dairy subsector has been impeded with many issues and institutional challenges that have prevented its growth alongside other agricultural subsectors.
“The major issue is that of low milk yield, poor handling, and post-harvest losses of dairy products.
”We need to continually improve the productivity of the dairy animals genetically, health and management practices to be able to respond to market-driven productivity objectives.
”There is a need for a mechanism to effectively regulate the dairy sector at all levels starting from animal breeding, milk collection, processing, and marketing.
“The National Dairy Policy will give a framework for improving the productivity of the dairy sector in a well-planned and sustainable manner across the various agro-ecological zones of the country”, she said.
In his goodwill message, Prof. Hussaini Ibrahim, the Director-General, Raw Material Research Development Council, noted that a national dairy policy was a fundamental base needed to drive e viable dairy industry.
Ibrahim, who was represented by Dr. Mary Abiareye, expressed the readiness of the Agency to partner in the progress for the upgrading of Nigeria’s Local Dairy Sector.
”This is a very important draft document having input from wider stakeholders that will direct and guide operations of the dairy sector.
”There is no doubt that validation of this workable policy catering to the interest of every player in the dairy industry will stimulate and drive a viable dairy sector”.
