As more awareness is created on the potential of feed and fodder production, the Commodities Development Initiative (CDI), Nigeria Feed and Fodder Multi-Stakeholders Platform (NFFMSP) have secured a partnership with Benue State Government for an aggressive production of feed and fodder to export.
The Benue State government has secured funding for the production of 1000 hectares of fodder, with the aim to increase to 6000 hectares in three years, while targeting a revenue of $70 million to the state.
Roland Oroh, Managing Director of CDI while speaking on the outcome of the Deal Room at the Agriculture Summit Africa, organized by Sterling Bank, said there are a lot of things going on in the livestock, feed and fodder sector which include moving from subsistence to commercial operation.
Oroh explained that the deal room is to bring project promoters, fund managers, investors and commercial banks to network and secure funding for projects so that they can respond to market opportunities in the domestic markets and also the export market.
“We are in partnership with the Nigeria Feed and Fodder Multi-Stakeholders Platform and Sterling Bank to have the feed, fodder and Livestock investment deal room. There are a lot of things going on in the livestock, feed and fodder sector and one of the critical things is to move from subsistence to commercial operation.
“We are aware of the interest of Saudi Arabia and other countries in the feed, fodder and livestock sector. So, we thought that this deal room will help us to catalyze commercial funding to the sector.
“We are very happy to announce that a couple of deals were made at the Deal Room. One of them is the deal between CDI and the Benue State Government. Benue State is attracting investors into the feed, fodder and livestock sector of the state.
“The state has secured funding for a 1000-hectare fodder project which is for export to United Arab Emirate, they plan to increase that to 6000 hectares within the next 2 to 3 years, and that will give us a total of $70 million of revenue coming into the state from that project”, he said.
He said there was an ongoing arrangement which will lead to a contractible agreement between Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and cattle traders as well with CDI and other partners to commercially produce Juncao grass.
“Benue state also announced a $100 million investor interest from some South African companies,” he added.
Professor Maikano Ari, President Nigeria Feed and Fodder Multi-Stakeholders Platform explained that the MSP is a collection of all partners, all value chain players in the feed and fodder subsector that includes the banks, companies, farmers, food producers.
“For us, it was an active partner with the Sterling Bank and CDI. The essence is that we have seen so much of untapped opportunities in the feed and fodder value chain and players do not know each other, so, the essence is for us to close that gap to bring all factors and actors together.
“It was indeed a successful venture knowing that we also had a partnership with the Benue State government who has an abandoned area that is filled with potentials in terms of pasture development. Of course, they have been involved in the production of seeds which have a lot of byproducts that can also have commercial value.
“The essence indeed was for us to see how the Nigerian feed and fodder sector can also tap into international opportunities, we will like to say that this is just the beginning, we had the first Deal Room here in Abuja, there will also be another one in Lagos and at the end we will be able to cascade to the level of more like a mini show,” he said.
Professor Ari noted that if there is no feed, there is no livestock sector, and 60 per cent of production cost of the livestock industry is overdependent on feed supply.
The Director Animal Husbandry Services at the Ministry of Livestock Development, Mrs Winnie Lai Solarin explained that Nigeria Feed and Fodder Multi-Stakeholder Platform is a platform for all stakeholders in the feed and fodder sector, from the financial institutions that will be talking about funding, development partners that will be looking for where to put their money and to put their aid, the Nigerian government that will also want to deal with feed and fodder issues to make it more available and more affordable for the ordinary livestock farmer, to the livestock farmers themselves that will be utilizing the feed and fodder.
She said the platform will create opportunity for everyone, a level playing ground for everyone to dialogue and to bring on board their expertise, their needs.
“So many activities will be carried out by the Nigeria Feed and Fodder Multi-Stakeholder Platform, going from innovation platforms where we are bringing the people who have the gaps and the people who can fill the gaps, while government is there as a convener to convene most of these activities, while funding can come from anywhere, can come from development partners,” she noted.
