The Kebbi Government has begun the screening of 500 herders for animal feeds loan, to encourage livestock production in the state.

Dr Usman Rambo, a Project Consultant on the loan, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while screening beneficiaries at Gesse-Bayaro- Hutawa settlements in Birnin Kebbi.

He said that the project was designed to improve local milk and livestock production in the state.“The animal feeds loan is a project of the state government through the ministry of animal health, husbandry and fisheries.

“The project targets 500 beneficiaries from the herders’ communities and is aimed at improving local milk and enhance livestock production in the state,” Rambo said.He noted that each of the beneficiaries would be granted livestock production inputs worth N288,000, adding that the loan would be repaid with two litres of fresh milk daily within 20 months.

“The milk collectors will be provided with motorcycles and milk cans, to collect and transport the fresh milk to livestock investigation and breeding centre at Bulasa, in Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area, for processing.“Each beneficiary will be given the following inputs:

35 bags of wheat, five bags of cotton seed, three blocks of salt licks, drugs and vaccines and N50,000 cash for roughage, among others,” the consultant stated.Earlier, the Director, Animal Husbandry in the ministry, Dr Ahmed Umar-Ambursa, said that the milk collection and processing project was under the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS), piloted by the state government.

He urged the beneficiaries to appreciate the gesture and ensure the best use of the opportunity for the success and sustainability of the project.Umar-Ambursa enjoined the beneficiaries to utilise the gesture for the purpose it was meant, to improve their socioeconomic well-being.

Source:- NAN