Livestock farmers in Ogun State are set to join their counterparts in other parts of the country to benefit from a $500 million lifeline offered by the World Bank, to boost productivity in the livestock sector.

          An indication about this emerged during a collaborative stakeholders' meeting in Abeokuta between officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the State Ministry of Agriculture and farmers on the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES).

          Speaking during the meeting, the Federal Director, Animal Husbandry and the National Project Coordinator, Mrs. Winnie Lai-Solarin, disclosed that L-PRES is a World Bank assisted project which focuses on poultry, cattle, diary, piggery and bee-value chains, to increase productivity, ensure commercialisation, and conflict resolution across the selected value chain.

          Lai-Solarin said the purpose of the meeting was to articulate, plan and prepare the programme with farmers inputs which would aid in creating an enabling environment for their businesses to thrive. While encouraging the prospective beneficiaries to ensure best practices in the rearing of their animals, she enjoined them to focus on a particular value-chain, as well as, ensure that the criteria outlined by government were met, so as to benefit from the project.

          Earlier in his address, Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, revealed that the State would ensure that livestock farmers benefit maximally from the projects, expressing optimism that it would create more job opportunities.

          In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Dotun Shorunke, disclosed that the State was chosen as a beneficiary of the project, based on the initiative of the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, adding that the project was people-centered with a bottom-top approach, in order to acquire the inputs of farmers in the livestock value-chain, which would ensure that farmers’ challenges were considered, for the success of the project.

          Speaking on behalf of other participants, the Chairman, Meyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Alhaji Abdul-Mumin Ibrahim, applauded the government for the initiative, saying they were excited about the prospects of productivity and commercialization which the project would bring to their businesses.