Nigerian Cows produce less milk than Cows in other Countries – Minister of Agriculture

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The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has said that cows bred in Nigeria top the list of least milk producing cows in the world.

The minister made the assertion at the 79th anniversary of Ikoyi Club 1938 in Lagos on Thursday.

He said that an average Nigerian cow produces less than one litre of milk per day compared to its counterparts in other countries where they produce as much as 100 litres per day.

The minister cited the Netherlands as an example of a country where an average cow produces a minimum of 50 litres of milk per day, while in the United States, a cow’s milk production can rise to over 100 litres per day.

Ogbeh said that part of the problem lies with the idea of moving cows from place to place, thus affecting meat and milk production. He stressed that the sooner farmers started developing ranches for cows, the better it would be for the cow market and its entire value chain.

“An average cow in the US drinks an average of 100 litres of water per day; but in Nigeria, I doubt whether a cow can get two litres of water per week,” Ogbeh added.

The minister also stated that the country produced 67% of all yams consumed in the world, adding that there were more opportunities for Nigeria to grow its share of the market, valued at $12bn, given the over 50 million hectares of land lying fallow in the country.

Ogbeh said that the agricultural sector will soon get a major boost as the Bank of Agriculture was is in the process of being restructured so that every local government in the nation will have a two-room branch.

 

Culled from: http://beverageindustrynews.com.ng/index.php/2017/09/29/nigerian-cows-produce-less-milk-than-cows-in-other-countries-minister-of-agriculture/#more-7543