Nigeria expands feed production to sustain dairy sector gains

NIGERIA – Kaduna State Government is prioritising year-round livestock feed production to sustain improvements in dairy productivity beyond the five-year Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) programme.

The state plans to build on interventions introduced under ALDDN by improving pasture development and revitalising grazing reserves to strengthen feed availability for livestock producers.

Dr Ibrahim Yusuf, managing director of Kaduna Ranch Development Company Ltd., said access to quality feed throughout the year remained a major constraint to livestock production. 

He said the company was incorporating lessons from the programme into the state’s livestock development and sustainability plans.

As part of these efforts, the company has begun developing 110 hectares of the 600-hectare Damau grazing reserve in Kubau Local Government Area to produce high-quality livestock feed.

“Of the 600 hectares grazing reserve, the company has started working on 110 hectares for the production of high-quality feeds for livestock in the state,” Yusuf said.

The initiative is intended to improve access to feed while strengthening the foundation for more consistent livestock production. 

Year-round availability matters for dairy farmers who face seasonal shortages of pasture and fodder, which can reduce animal productivity and milk output.

The state is coordinating its efforts with other livestock development initiatives, including the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) and the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI).

The Gates Foundation funds ALDDN, and Sahel Consulting implements it in partnership with state governments and dairy processors. 

The five-year programme aims to strengthen a more vibrant, inclusive domestic dairy sector.

Kaduna officials said they would integrate successful interventions into existing and future livestock development programmes to ensure continuity after ALDDN closes.

The state’s Director of Livestock Services, Amwe Akos, representing Agriculture Commissioner Alhaji Murtala Mohammed-Dabo, said the state’s proposed 2027 budget already includes some initiatives.

The planned budget allocation signals the government’s intention to continue supporting interventions that have strengthened the local dairy sector. 

However, the government did not specify the scale of future investment or the timeline for completing development of the Damau grazing reserve.

Linking grazing reserve development, pasture improvement, and continued public investment enables Kaduna to address one of the constraints on dairy production: reliable, year-round access to quality livestock feed.

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