Mr Tijjani Abdul-Gaffar of Agro Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support Project (APPEALS) says the programme is working with Fulani community in Dorayi, Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State to raise milk production by 500 per cent.
Abdul-Gaffar, who is the National Procurement Specialist, APPEALS, made the disclosure while addressing members of Dorayi cluster at Dorayi on Friday.
The Dorayi Fulani cluster has over 7,000 herds of cattle.
He said the target was to raise the income of the villagers, adding that the programme would open wider market and boost productivity of the livestock.
“For the present one liter that you get from a cow, you can produce up to five liters per cow, that is the main reason why the project is here, this is what we want you to achieve.
“But before we do that we want to try to have a market because if you are producing one liter it means your market is just one liter, that’s why we came with the idea of off-takers.
“So that when we improve your yield from one liter to five liters per cow, we have already provided a market where you will sell the product,” he said.
Abdul-Gaffar appreciated Dorayi cluster for according special interest to the programme and urged them to sustain the tempo to adequately boost their productivity.
“We have seen the level of preparedness but as a national office, we want to ask how far you have gone in terms of your preparation for both the technology demonstration and also the adoption of those technologies demonstrated to you.
“We don’t want to be coming and coming for just meetings, the next time we will be here we want to see the results of what we have actually impacted in the farmers and also in the off-takers.
“The state office has explained to us that they have been able to identify an off-taker that is ready to pick all the milk that is being produced from this area.
“And they have also informed us that they have been able to form you into a cluster and that we are seeing,”the specialist said.
He cautioned them against any misunderstanding with the off-takers, so as to derive maximum benefits from the intervention.
In his speech, Dr Adetunji Oredipe, Task Team Lead (TTL), World Bank APPEALS project, said that the essence of the programme was to introduce new technologies towards increasing daily dairy production.
“This project is about achieving three major differences in what you do; it makes sure that we enhance your productivity, to fix all issues you may have in value chain and to ensure that you become competitive like any other business.
“By the time we work with you, we want to make sure that all these happen, we want a situation where those with one animal increase to two, the entire essence is to bring positive change.
“In doing this, we have to work together, as we go forward, we will require you to do a few things; we will be interested in the way you organise yourselves so that we will be bringing all sorts of trainings, ideas and information and you should be open to these.
“We may be introducing technologies to you, you should therefore accept and try the new things. I want to thank the Ardo and other leaders for creating space for women to be part of this progress,” he said.
Oredipe said that the visit was to see how to change them from the traditional means of milk production from the initial one liter per cow to five liters and later to 15 liters.
“What we want from you is the determination to accept the technologies to be able to increase your production capacity. We want those with one cattle to own two cattle and cattle breeders to become marketers.”
Responding on behalf of the community, the Ardo of Dorayi, Alhaji Shu’aibu Dorayi, appreciated the organisation for bringing new techniques toward boosting their yields.
While assuring the readiness of members of the cluster to embrace the technology, the Ardo urged APPEALS to sustain the relationship for the good of the nation.
