No fewer than 34,000 Ondo State livestock farmers have been trained to improve animal productivity, especially in poultry, pig, sheep, and goat keeping.
The initiative, led by the Ondo State Government in collaboration with the World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, aims to enhance the productivity and resilience of livestock farming in the state.
Mr. Olufemi Adeogun, State Programme Coordinator (SPC) of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (Ondo L-PRESS), revealed that the government also distributed modern farming equipment to livestock farmers as part of the intervention.
Adeogun explained that L-PRESS is a six-year World Bank-funded project managed through the federal ministry. Its goal is to boost livestock productivity, commercialisation, and the capacity to respond to emergencies in Nigeria’s livestock sector.
According to him, “Ondo is one of the twenty states of the federation that is benefiting from the project,” noting that the project covers three key value chains: poultry, pig, sheep, and goat.
He said, “The overall purpose is to ensure smooth implementation of the project in the state, in accordance with the Project Development Objective (PDO) and operational guidelines, as contained in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD) and Project Implementation Manual (PIM).”
Adeogun also noted that the project is domiciled in the State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
He said by the time it concludes in 2028, the state’s livestock sector would be significantly transformed, with farmers better rewarded for their labour.
“The 34,000 targeted beneficiaries include poultry, pig, sheep, and goat farmers, as well as processors and marketers across the state. These individuals have been grouped into clusters and sub-clusters to benefit from the intervention,” he said.
He added that the training sessions cover areas such as animal health, disease control, and artificial insemination, and have already been held in selected locations.
Plans are underway to hold similar sessions in Akure and Ikare.
As part of the implementation, five hectares of demonstration farms have been established in Akure and Ondo City. Farmer field schools have also been set up in Akure, Ikare, and Okitipupa to promote best practices in livestock farming.
In addition, 165 farmers recently received fodder choppers to aid grass processing.
“The purpose of that grass chopper is to ease the work activities in cutting the grass for preservation during the dry season, which will make it easier for them and even for the animals to consume it without any difficulty,” he added.
Speaking on the broader vision, Mrs. Foluke Daramola, the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, said the government is focused on making farmers more productive.
She said, beyond productivity, the intervention will also improve livelihoods, reduce costs in egg and beef production, and benefit both consumers and producers.
Daramola also highlighted other ongoing interventions, including the reconstruction of veterinary hospitals across the state. She explained that all efforts are geared towards ensuring food security and creating employment for residents.
