News report from The Informant indicates that the Kwara State Government’s significant progress in livestock development has received commendation from the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Abubakar Kyari.

Kyari made the commendation during the closing ceremony of the second batch training of 100 extension agents and farmers on small ruminant production and crop residue processing for improved utilisation by ruminants. The event was held at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM) in Idofian, Kwara State.

The training, organised by the Kwara State Government through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) and conducted by Synergy Impact Consultant Limited, brought together representatives from both federal and state governments, livestock experts from the Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) in Kano, and stakeholders in the state's livestock value chain.

In his address to the participants, the Minister of Agriculture, represented by his Special Assistant on Livestock Development, Innovation, and Security, Dr. Mustapha Popoola, highlighted the importance of the livestock sector, noting that it contributes about 17% to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 5% to the National GDP.

The Minister, who acknowledged the contributions of extension agents and farmers to livestock production, explained that the goals of the initiative was to increase productivity in animal production and save cost, urging the participants to work in synergy with the farmers for a better result.

In his address, the L-PRES National Coordinator, Mr. Sanusi Abubakar said capacity building of the extension agents and farmers would go a long way in achieving the project development objectives of L-PRES, assuring the participants that the national coordination office would continue to give necessary support to the project in actualising its core responsibilities in the state.

Represented by the National Project Administration Officer, Mr. Ellu Daniel advised the trainees to ensure the utilisation of the knowledge acquired from the 5-day training with a view to having improved productivity in livestock business in the country.

On her part, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Oloruntoyosi Thomas said capacity building is one of the essential aspects in livestock production and pledged the present administration’s continued commitment to prioritising training and retraining of extension agents and farmers to achieve food and nutrition security in the state.

The Commissioner, who was represented by the Director, Animal Husbandry Services of the Ministry, Mallam Umar Mohammed appealed to the participants to replicate the knowledge acquired at the training to other farmers that do not have the opportunity in their various communities in order to actualise the government intention for organising the programme.

In his welcome address, the State Project Coordinator, Mr. Olusoji Oyawoye said the programme is one of the series of trainings lined up for both extensionists and farmers to update their knowledge on new innovations in livestock businesses.

According to him, the State L-PRES Project is working tirelessly to ensure that the conflicts between the crops and livestock farmers reduce to the barest minimum level in the state.

The representative of the trainees, Mrs. Sekinat Idris said the training has exposed them to integrate both the livestock and crops farming together to make maximum use, adding that the impact of the project would go a long way in assisting the state and the country at large.