Gombe allocates N193m for livestock

From Adamu Saleh, Gombe

Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State has earmarked the sum of N193 million to boost livestock production and its value chain in the state.

This revelation was contained in the state’s 2014 budget proposal the governor has submitted to the House of Assembly.

This is in line with the resolution of the 2nd North-east Economic Summit which highlighted the benefits of investing in the sector, which the governor said has already started attracting investors from within and outside the state.

Dankwambo promised to ensure that the livestock sub-sector gets the needed attention, saying that government has awarded contract for the construction of a veterinary hospital and the establishment of more veterinary clusters in the state.

He said government has put in place an animal drugs revolving fund scheme to provide genuine and affordable drugs to livestock farmers in the state, adding that the sum of N75 million has been set aside for the reactivation and renovation of the abandoned poultry production unit (PPU) in Gombe and stocked the PPU with 600 breeder layers, 500 breeder broilers and 1,500 broilers.

According to him, government will collaborate with an investor who pledged during the Northeast Economic Summit, to build a modern abattoir in the state with a view to transporting livestock through the Gombe International Airport.

As one of the main sources of protein and an income generating venture, Gombe State has plans to support fish farming with N20million in the 2014 fiscal year.

He said government is in the process of developing a fish hatchery with the capacity of 800,000 fingerlings, per annum, in addition to the provision of fish feed machinery and equipment with an annual production capacity of 5,000 tonnes of fish meal in the state.

Said the governor: “The project is 70 percent completed. I, therefore, urged the people of Gombe State, both in the rural and urban areas, to embark on this venture. Private sector should also key-in-to the plans of the administration.”