Yemisi Izuora
Kaduna state government has commissioned a rural milk processing plant in Ladugga grazing reserve in Kachia Local Government Area of the state.
The rural milk processing plant, which has the capacity to process 500-litres of raw milk into yoghurt, was set up by the community cooperative, Kachia Bollol Ndurgol with the technical and financial support of the Business Innovation Facility (BIF), a DFID funded project.
Speaking at the commissioning of the plant, governor of the state Mallam Nasir El Rufai commended promoters of the project, saying it will go a long way in boosting dairy industry.
Represented by the deputy governor Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, he said that the introduction of the Napier grass, establishment of homestead and community pasture lots across the whole grazing reserve were worth replicating across Kaduna State and Nigeria as a whole.
El Rufai commended the project for being a unique concept because of the community focused approach adopted by the BIF.
The Governor said that such a focus was important as it promotes full community participation and ownership.
He praised the DFID for its continued support to Kaduna State government, adding that the introduction of Napier grass and rural milk processing initiative has helped in curbing the herder farmer conflict arising from cattle movement.
In his speech, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Manzo Maigari, commended the sponsors of the rural milk processing project, which he noted, has high social impact and value for money.
“it is not everything you throw money at that yields this kind of result,” he said.
He thanked the DFID for being a dependable partner in the development and progress of the state.
In his remarks, the Country Director of BIF, Mr. Soji Apampa, said that the rural milk processing plant was the result of the willingness of the community to adopt improved feed for their cattle in the form of Napier grass introduced by the BIF.
Apampa explained that the improved feed led to milk yield increases, making it necessary for the BIF to support the community co-operative with training in milk handling, processing and collection.
He mentioned that the BIF also linked the co-operative with a social impact investor Mobihive, who provided 50 per cent of the cost of the milk processing plant as a loan while BIF support matched the loan with a grant, which covered the rest of the cost of setting up the plant.