By: Mary Taye
The Ondo state government under the Ondo State Livestock productivity Resilience Support Project, (Ondo L-PRES) in partnership with the World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food security, has commenced training and empowering of 34,000 farmers in boosting production of poultry, pig, sheep and goats.
The State Programme Co-ordinator (SPC) of Ondo state Livestock productivity Resilience Support Project, (Ondo L-PRES), Mr Olufemi Adeogun disclosed this on Monday in Akure during a Media Interaction session.
The Ondo state coordination office of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES), is one of the twenty states of the federation selected for the project that will last for six years.
Adeogun said the L-PRES is a six years intervention of the World Bank through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security with the Project Development Objective (PDO) to the improve productivity, Commercialisation, and resilience of targeted livestock production systems and to strengthen the country capacity to respond to an eligible crisis or emergency in Nigeria.
According to him, the implementation of the project in the country has three value chains namely: Poultry, Pig, Sheep and goat, as reducing prices of the agric produce and animal products including eggs will be give priority.
Hike in price of eggs which is now at N7,000 per crate is now a source of worry for residents of Ondo State
He said the overall purpose is to ensure smooth implementation of the project in the state, in accordance with the Project Development Objective (PDO)and operational guidelines,as contained in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD)and Project implementation Manual (PIM).
“We have the Establishment of five hectares of pasture demonstrated in Akure and Ondo State.
“Provision of Anthrax vaccine was for the cows, pig, sheep and goat.
“Establishment of farmer fields shockers in Akure, Ikare and Okitipupa; Ongoing construction of cold chains facility at Akure veterinary clinic,” he said.
The Coordinator said, “Profiling and cluster formations of potential project beneficiaries; Over 34,000 targeted beneficiaries that include poultry, pig, sheep and goat farmers, and processors and marketers in the state; They were all formed into clusters and subclusters to benefit from the intervention
“Statewide free anthrax vaccination of cow, sheep and goat. Total No. of cattle vaccinated: 34,707; Total No. of sheep vaccinated: 3,613; Total No. of goats vaccinated: 6,545 and Total – 44,865Total Beneficiaries.
“OVERVIEW OF PROJECT GOALS: Project Development Objective (PDO), L-PRES is a six-year intervention of the World Bank through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security with the Project Development Objective (PDO) to improve productivity, commercialization, and resilience of targeted livestock production systems and to strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to an eligible crisis or emergency in Nigeria
“Creating Awareness About Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project in Ondo State; Establishing good relationship with the press; Showcasing activities and achievements of the Project,” said Adeogun.
He said the project was working on how to reduce price of eggs by putting place certain measures to boost egg production.
In his remark, the Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Mrs Foluke Tunde-Daramola, said the state government was doing a lot to tackle food shortage and enhance production of livestock.
Daramola who commended operations of the Ondo (L-PRES), said “last week Friday, grass choppers was distributed to the farmers especially sheep and wood farmers by the government.
She also said “the purpose of that grass chopper is to ease the work activities in cutting the grass for preservation during the dry season which will make it easier for them and even for the animals to consume it without any difficulty .
In his address, the Ondo State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Prince Leke Adegbite advised that “the
government should find lasting
solution to high cost of animal products like eggs, goat meat and others.
