Stakeholders move to boost milk production

Milky Way Partnership (MWP) Nigeria has met with stakeholders to address challenges of milk production through local techniques, as well as ways to improve the use of modern equipment to boost dairy production in the country.

Speaking at the meeting in Kaduna, Dr Ishaq Bello, project manager, Milk Value Chain Foundation, said the MWP was a five-year dairy development project driven by a partnership between Arla Foods, Danish Food and Agricultural Council/ SEGES, CARE Denmark and CORET in Nigeria.

He said the aim of the project was to establish cattle ranches for grazing and milk production through the use of modern equipment and assist Fulani nomads to process their milk for the market.

He explained that the project is jointly funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and Arla Foods, and that the objective of the MWP is to establish a commercially viable and well functioning dairy value chain in Nigeria.

“The project will achieve this through training and capacity building of farmers to produce more and better quality milk; dairies to produce more and better local dairy products; development of market for local dairy products; and improved collaboration among key stakeholders in the dairy value chain.

“The aim is to establish a sustainable business model for milk production from family farms to support improved livelihood for families and their herds,’’ he explained.

Bello said the MWP had a strong commitment to share knowledge and best practices with all stakeholders in order to ensure a sustainable dairy industry in Nigeria.

Some of the stakeholders who spoke at the event emphasised the need to enlighten Fulani nomads on how to benefit from modern milk production system. They called on government to assist herdsmen and support the project by partnering with investors to ensure adequate and sustainable milk production in the country.