Consortium gets $ 5m grant to boost dairy sector

Apart of efforts to boost the productivity and sustainability of the Nigerian dairy sector, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given the Value4dairy Consortium led by Frieslandcampina, five million dollars grant.

Announcing receipt of the grant, Executive Director, the Corporate Affairs, Frieslandcampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, Ore Famurewa, said the grant will fund 50 per cent of the consortium’s latest project, which is to advance systemic and sustainable local dairy production in Nigeria. She further explained that the Consortium, launched in April 2021, is a collaboration of four strategic partners with expertise in various agrirelated value chains: Frieslandcampina WAMCO, URUS, Barenbrug and Agrifirm. The private sector consortium has developed a model that represents a pathway towards a selfsufficient, competitive, climate- smart and locally managed dairy sector, starting with three self- sustaining dairy zones in Oyo, Osun and Abuja. These zones will serve as hubs for training and supporting 10,000 pastoralists and smallholders, growing to include 40.000 milk producers in the subsequent years.

Each dairy zone will have a warehouse, outlets with dairy farming inputs, and two milk collection points, where FCW will collect the aggregated milk for processing into dairy products. The consortium will leverage the partners’ expertise to provide local farmers access to the latest advancements in feed, breeding, sustainable farming practices, and routes to the market, enabling them to increase milk production at lower costs sustainably. While the programme focuses on dairy sector transformation, it will also contribute to improving food security, raising farmer incomes, enhancing nutrition, reducing conflicts between herders and farmers, improving water access and lowering greenhouse gas emission intensity. Additionally, the programme is gender- intentional, as it includes dedicated interventions to empower women to participate in activities and earn additional income.

Global Dairy Development Director at Frieslandcampina, Jeroen Elfers, stated: “Frieslandcampina has a longstanding commitment to building local resilient dairy value chains. We are committed to the growth and development of the Nigerian dairy sector and work with its partners in the Value4dairy Consortium to support the development of a more robust dairy infrastructure.

Managing Director, FCW, Roger Adou, said the aim is to further empower local farmers, increase milk production, and contribute to the nation’s agricultural prosperity.