The forum presents an opportunity for robust multi-stakeholder interactive sessions to explore business opportunities and multi-faceted problems bedevilling Nigeria's animal feed sector.
Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammad Abubakar, on Tuesday said that Nigeria needs innovative technology to develop sustainable methods of increased animal feed production in the country.
The minister made this known on Tuesday at the ongoing second edition of the National Animal Feed Summit organized by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and other relevant partners including the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), its sister organisation, PREMIUM TIMES, and Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited in Abuja.
This year's summit, themed "Harnessing Alternative Feed resources for Sustainable Animal Feed ", has key stakeholders from the private and public sectors engage feed millers (toll, commercial and on-farm) and academia in an effort to chart the way forward for the development of Nigeria's feed sector.
The forum presents an opportunity for robust multi-stakeholder interactive sessions to explore business opportunities and discuss critical issues targeted at resolving the multi-faceted problems bedevilling Nigeria's animal feed sector.
According to the organisers, the primary focus of the summit is on feed value chain development, the National Animal Feed policy document, National Strategic Feed Reserve and National Alternative Feed Ingredient Development.
Agenda
In his remarks, the minister emphasised that the summit aligns with the aspirations and agenda of the Nigerian government to improve the animal feed sub-sector by focusing on the development of a national animal feed policy, feed value chain, feed quality control and safety, National Strategic Feed Reserve amongst others.
"The role of animal feed in Nigeria's Agriculture sector is critical as it provides essential nutrients and support for livestock and production, an important source of income and employment for many farmers and rural communities," Mr Abubakar said.
He explained that the animal feed market is characterised by a mix of small-scale, traditional methods and large-scale modern methods coupled with challenges such as lack of access to credit and markets, low investment in research and development, limiting the ability of the animal feed sector to innovate and improve production methods.
"To meet the increasing demand for animal feed in Nigeria, there is a need for innovation and technology to develop sustainable and efficient production methods which will support small-scale and rural communities through extension services training and other support," he said.
The minister also noted that the federal government is committed to providing a necessary enabling environment for sustainable direct investment in the feed industry and other sectors of the economy. He added that the government would ensure partnerships to support and collaborate with all concerned stakeholders towards ensuring the success of the country's national feed security and economic diversification initiatives.
"It is my expectation that all present here today will brainstorm to give your best attention to articulate a roadmap for National alternative feed resources that will significantly reduce the cost of production and the effects of incessant price volatility in the Nigerian animal feed industry," the minister added.
On his part, FMARD's permanent secretary, Ernest Umakhihe, who was represented by the ministry's Director of Fisheries and Development, Ime Umoia, said Nigeria has a reliable and sustainable course of action for feeding its livestock and poultry to achieve food security for animal sources, generate employment along the animal feed value chain and reduce importation of animal feed materials and equipment into the country.
Mr Umakhihe said the need for this policy cannot be over-emphasized due to the rising cost of feed ingredients partly because of its use by humans and animals.
"Nigeria is very far from meeting national sufficiency in animal feed production," he added.
Untapped opportunities
Mr Umakhihe explained that Nigeria is known to produce an average of 5.5 million metric tonnes per annum comprising 85 per cent poultry feeds and has the potential promise to grow to not less than 50 million metric tonnes per annum if the commercial ruminant and swine feeding sub-sectors are harnessed.
"The feed sector has the potential to engage over 20 million Nigerians, as the industry is yet to reach 25 per cent of its market size," he said.
He said Nigeria's animal feed sector remains underdeveloped, largely due to high-cost ingredients and other production factors, which has resulted in market dislocation and hampered access to products and affordability, thereby barring an average farmer from the supply network.
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These challenges, Mr Umakhihe said, have necessitated the need for the summit, creating a platform to engage key players and major stakeholders in the feed industry to develop a roadmap for attaining animal feed security in the country.
"This summit has come at a time when the vision of the federal government is articulated through the change approach and standard practice to be applied at every level of society, individual, family, and community management towards a pragmatic national development," he said.
"This approach is to significantly reduce livestock and livestock products imports and at the same time stimulate exports to earn the much-needed foreign exchange. The private sector will remain in the lead while the government provides the enabling environment through policies, as well as supporting infrastructure, systems, control processes and oversight.
"To achieve this vision, we work with a wide range of National and International stakeholders to speed up transformation and repositioning of our agriculture and indeed livestock production, to meet contemporary aspirations of wholesomeness and commercialization for increased farmer output and National income as well as the wellbeing of our people."
