Kano state government will in the next couple of months, unveil a multilateral scheme that will revolutionize dairy production and make the state the nation’s dairy production hub.
The capital intensive project will be executed through the Kano State Agro Pastoral Development Project, which is funded by the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihood Fund.
The State Project Coordinator, Kano State Agro Pastoral development Project, Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad announced this today (Tuesday), while receiving a delegation from Fura da Nono Cooperative Association, the umbrella union for milk vendors in the state, at the project office in Kano.
He stated that the initiative comprises construction and equipping of 200 milk collection centers as well as financial and technical support to Milk Cooperative Societies.
Malam Ibrahim specifically maintained that the milk collection centers would provide for “cost effective and energy efficient cold chain, which allows for raw milk to be collected, tested, chilled and stored, without compromises in quality that will otherwise lead to milk rejection and profit loss”.
“With this development, the milk quality is guaranteed and the herdsman’s income is assured. So it will be a win-win situation for the herdsman, the milk vendors and the milk up-takers”.
According to him, apart from milk collection centers, there is the cattle insemination aspect, massive fodder production and sustained cattle vaccination for animal health among other schemes, aimed at improving milk production substantially, and making the dairy sub-sector a major income earner for milk producers and processors.
“As the project unfolds, we are going to support the Fura da Nono Cooperative Association with some facilities and training on good hygienic practices and storage, while many women and youth members of the association will be empowered with mini processing units”, he assured.
The Coordinator therefore, urged members of the Fura da Nono Cooperative Association to work more closely with the Kano Agro Pastoral Development to make its set goals achievable.
In his remarks, the chairman of the Fura da Nono Cooperative Association, Alh. Lawan Muhammad said the visit was to enable members of his association contribute towards the successful implementation of the Kano State Agro Pastoral Development Project.
“We have come to advice and to seek clarification on how far the project has gone especially pertaining to milk collection centers and our role in enhancing milk production and sale in Kano”, he added.
