The Niger State Government and FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on milk production.
The agreement is for 10,000 hectares of land at the Bobi Grazing Reserve in the state under FrieslandCampina WAMCO’s Dairy Development Programme.
President Muhammadu Buhari and the Prime Minister of The Netherlands, Mark Rutte, witnessed the signing of the MoU between the Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Bello, and the President, FrieslandCampina Consumer Dairy, Mr Roel van Neerbos, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday, the firm said in a statement.
It added that the public-private partnership was in line with the Federal Government’s National Livestock Transformation Plan seeking to grow livestock farming and transform the dairy sector into an economic force.
According to the firm, the MoU acknowledges the nine-year successes of the FrieslandCampina WAMCO’s Dairy Development Programme in Oyo, Ogun and Osun states.
“Currently, the company has developed pasture on 1,000 of the 10,000 hectares of land assigned to it at the Bobi Grazing Reserve and established key infrastructure including a milk collection centre with a high capacity cooling tank and high-quality milk testing equipment,” the firm said.
FrieslandCampina WAMCO said it had also emerged the first to introduce hydroponics, a method of growing high-nutrient grass in harsh environments and greenhouse pasture development that would ensure year-round feed for cows.
It added that it would continue to lead the DDP programme in Nigeria by expanding to more states.
Source: Punch Newspaper
