The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello has urged the Federal Government to make his state the pioneer in its planned Cattle Colony Programme.
Bello made the call, Thursday, when he paid a working visit to the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe in Abuja.
Governor Bello who was accompanied by his Commissioner for Agriculture, Oloruntoba Kehinde and Special Adviser on SDGs, Arc. Abdulmumeen Okara, said he was visiting the Minister to acquaint him on the progress being made in the agricultural sector in the state.
The Governor therefore sought Federal Government’s support for specific programmes including the management of the Silos in Lokoja the state capital.
According to the Governor, the state has effectively managed herders/farmers crisis rocking parts of the country, stating that Kogi State enjoys a peaceful co-existence between indigenous farmers and Fulani Cattle herders
He revealed that the success was achieved through regular stakeholders’ consultations and inclusion of Cattle Breeding Communities in the traditional administration of various communities.
The Governor also briefed the Minister on the giant strides recorded so far by the state in livestock, dairy and rice production which resulted in the recent unveiling of Kogi’s ‘Confluence Rice.’
Bello said the local rice would be available in the 10 neighbouring states upon complete installation of Kogi Rice Mill which has a milling capacity of 50 tonnes per day by the end of the first quarter of 2018.
Reacting, the Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh, congratulated the Governor for his foresight and interest in the new cattle breeding programme and commended his general achievements in agriculture.
Chief Ogbeh noted that Kogi State is very important to Nigeria’s Value Chain Development Programme especially in Cashew and Cassava.
“Kogi is the largest producer of cashew nuts in Nigeria and your large production capacity in Cassava has great foreign exchange potential through the production of ethanol, syrup and industrial starch,” the minister stated.
“Kogi state has been earmarked for massive land clearing this year and we are also looking at establishing a Cashew Processing Factory in the state,” he added.
