Engineer Seyi Makinde, Oyo State governor has been lauded for his unique approach and commitment towards enhancing livestock production in the country.
Makinde was commended by the World Bank, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), at a two-day livestock production stakeholders engagement by the World Bank Task Team and the National Coordinating Office on the L-PRES Support Mission to Oyo State.
Sanusi Abubakar, L-PRES National Project Coordinator said the event was targeted towards the implementation of a $500 million World Bank Project by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to improve productivity, commercialization, and resilience of the livestock value chain.
Dr. Debo Akande, Director General, Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA)/Chairman of L-PRES and Kola Kazeem L-PRES state Project Coordinator in Oyo state who hosted and took stakeholders to a livestock production hub at Fashola Farm in Oyo to access the state governments commitment in livestock production.
Abubakar while speaking after a field trip to Fashola Farm Settlement, said We have the mandate of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari to hasten up the implementation of this livestock programme in Nigeria, that is why we are going round for the implementation mission.
Debo Akande said We are bringing back the glory of livestock production in Oyo state, the project will in the mid, short, and long term have a major impact on the agricultural value chain especially in the livestock industry.
Akande, however, assured that challenges faced by livestock farmers in the state will be addressed by the state government through the support of L-PRES and World Bank.
Kazeem, on the other hand, said the mission of the project implementation team was to lend support to livestock production and development.
The team from 16 states across the country were in the state to witness what governor Seyi Makinde has embarked on in agricultural production and agribusiness development.
Fashola Farms is a signature project for Oyo state and for other states to emulate noting that when we talk of livestock centre, you cannot find this kind of arrangement that we have in Fashola agribusiness hub in any other place.
The state has enormous potential in livestock production, saying L-Pres is prepared to support efforts of the state government to bring livestock rearing value chain, not just for cattle but also for poultry, piggery, and other livestock sectors in the state.
