The Donkey Dealers Association (DDA) has commended President Bola Tinubu for taking bold steps towards encouraging the export of agricultural products to the global market.
This is just as the Association congratulated the new Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, Dr Godwin Sunday Audu, and pledged to work with him to rid the donkey value chain of smugglers.
Speaking with journalists, the President of DDA, Dike Ifeanyi Obinna offered the support of the Association in order to achieve the President’s declaration of exportation of agro-products.
He said this move will encourage both livestock and crop farmers to double their efforts in production knowing that there is market for their products to be sold.
“We the members of Donkey Dealers Association are so delighted that the present administration headed by President Bola Tinubu who has decided to encourage agriculture and when we are talking about agriculture, we are not just talking about crop agriculture, we have livestock.
“We are also trying to encourage and support every strategy that is going to increase the exportation of agricultural products because agriculture is the bedrock of the economy.
“Donkey being a livestock should also be encouraged for export because donkey has an economic value in the global market,” Dike said.
Recall that DDA has recently interfaced with the National Assembly through the Committee Chairmen on Agriculture at the Red and Green Chambers with the aim of making donkey one of the major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Furthermore, the Association tasked President Tinubu to take steps towards stopping donkey smugglers from sabotaging the efforts being made in improving the donkey value chain.
Dike specifically said that some Chinese smugglers and some local conspirators are killing donkeys and smuggling the products out of the country which he said may lead to the extinction of the livestock.
“We are delighted to hear that the President is supporting agriculture for Nigeria to increase its GDP, and at the same time, so of the bottlenecks which include the smugglers who are constituting economic sabotage to the economy”, he said.
He called on the Federal Government, the NAQS to bring smuggling and incessant killing of donkeys to a halt.
“The Donkey Dealers Association support every move and strategy the government will come up with that will encourage donkey breeding and ranching for export because we are in the livestock sector and at the same time, we are ready to support and advice the government on better way to improve the economy,” Dike added.
Dike also appealed to President Tinubu to assist the Association with land where they can breed, ranch donkey and also develop pasture to feed the animals, this according to him will led Nigeria into becoming the donkey hub for africa.
He also revealed that the Association has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Animal Research Institute (NAPRI) to reproduce 10 million donkeys within the timeframe of 10 to 15 years.
Dike further reiterated that government’s support for local ranch for donkeys will reduce crime and increase the country’s GDP.
