ONDO GOVERNMENT COMMENDS L-PRES PROJECT INTERVENTIONS, URGES FARMERS TO PATRONISE FACILITIES
Ondo State Government has commended the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project for the various infrastructural interventions being provided to boost livestock productivity in the state and charged livestock farmers to patronise the facilities when inaugurated.
The State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Olaolu Akindolire, disclosed this while commenting on the inspection of some selected facilities being constructed by the L-PRES Project in the state.
The facilities included a modern veterinary hospital in Ondo city, a veterinary clinic in Igbara-Oke, a cold chain facility at the veterinary hospital, Akure, and a livestock market in Ondo city.
Mr. Akindolire, who described the quality of the facilities as satisfactory, said the veterinary hospital in Ondo, the veterinary clinic in Igbara-Oke, and the cold chain facilities are almost completed and will soon be inaugurated for use early next year.
“We were very impressed with the progress. They were completed in record time. The livestock market is progressing as scheduled, and we believe it will be completed in time. It is pertinent to state that livestock markets are ongoing across the three senatorial districts: one in Sango, Akure; one in Ondo; and another proposed for Irele, as well as a slaughter slab in Okitipupa,” he added.
He said the inspection was necessary to ensure compliance with the project’s objective to boost livestock production in the state.
Speaking during the inspection, the State Project Coordinator (SPC) of Ondo L-PRES, Mr. Olufemi Adeogun, gave assurance that the state would experience improvement in livestock production through the L-PRES Project’s interventions.
Mr. Adeogun appreciated Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration for supporting the project by meeting the criteria to be part of the twenty participating states of the federation, explaining that the facilities, when inaugurated, would be run under Public-Private Partnership arrangements for sustainability.
The SPC said care for animal health is a vital component of the project, which informed the establishment of the veterinary clinics, aimed at boosting animal resilience and production. He also stressed that there is ongoing construction of livestock markets across the three senatorial districts to enhance livestock commercialization in the state by creating access to markets.
“The clinics will significantly improve access to veterinary services for livestock farmers. The purpose of the cold chain facility is to store vaccines effectively so that when animals are vaccinated, their immunity against diseases is improved,” Adeogun explained.
He listed Farmer Field Schools (FFS)—namely the Sheep and Goats FFS Akure, Poultry FFS in Ikare Akoko, and Okitipupa—as important establishments under the L-PRES Project, aimed at training and educating livestock farmers on best animal husbandry practices and production.
The L-PRES Project is a six-year intervention by the World Bank in partnership with the state government, through the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, to improve livestock productivity, resilience, and commercialization in the country.
Augustine Adeoye
Project Communication/ICT
Ondo L-PRES Project.
