Over 400 farmers are expected to be engaged following the establishment of animal husbandry farm and poultry feed mill facility by the National Agricultural Lands Development Authority (NALDA) in Sokoto State.
This was made known by the NALDA’s executive secretary, Prince Paul Ikonne during the inspection of the project which seats on 100 hectares of land located at Dabagin-lafia, opposite the Usman Danfodio University farm. with the poultry feed mill is situated in Dayin village along Doba, road.
According to Ikonne the modern comprises cow pens with capacity of 500 cows, milking parlour with capacity of 200 cows in a set, napier grass on 50 hectares, with the construction of clinics/veterinary sections and a training centre.
He said the establishment of the farm was based on President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive in line with NALDA’s mandate.
Ikonne added that NALDA was committed to achieving food security and development as he assured that the farm would generate employment, hygienic milk production and cow fattening for meat, while encouraging young farmers to go into animal husbandry farming and animal food formulation.
On employment opportunities through the partnership, the NALDA boss stated that with the establishment of the poultry feed mill, which Prime Ranch provided the land and was managing the 62,000 poultry capacity, there would be feed production for small farmers across the zone and other parts of the country.
He said, “The employment chain will not be anything less that 400, consisting of workers who would be directly involved in these activities, outside the output, which is achieving food sufficiency”.
Also speaking, the founder, Prime Ranch Ltd, Nafiu Yakubi, said the partnership with NALDA was coming into fruition.
He said, “The thinking when we incorporated Prime Ranch years back, is to have a ranch kind of arrangement whereby we grow our animals, grow their feeds, fatten them, and sell them off to the market. The partnership with NALDA is a very cordial one. They support us in all areas that we need support from them.”
