The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling food shortages and unemployment in the country through agriculture and livestock development.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, stated this at the second International Conference of the Agrifood Systems Stakeholders Forum at the University of Port Harcourt on Monday.
The forum, organised by the Agricultural Policy Research Network, focused on solutions to food insecurity, poverty and youth unemployment in the country.
Represented by the Director of Ruminant and Monogastric Development, Victor Egbon, Maiha commended APRNet for organising the conference.
He called for continued collaboration among stakeholders to advance agriculture and urged relevant stakeholders to support the Federal Government’s coordinated national livestock development agenda.
According to him, the initiative would boost agricultural productivity, create jobs and restore citizens’ confidence in the sector.
Maiha acknowledged the challenges limiting the growth of the sector, saying the Federal Government was addressing them through improved access to skills, finance, infrastructure and markets.
“Our agrifood systems are under growing pressure from climate variability, flooding, drought, land degradation and rising input costs,” he said.
He identified animal diseases, post-harvest losses, weak market linkages and limited access to finance as other challenges affecting producers and consumers.
“Within these challenges lies a compelling opportunity to build agrifood systems that are more productive, inclusive and climate-resilient, while creating decent jobs for women and young people,” he said.
The minister said the livestock value chain offered huge opportunities across various businesses, including feed production, hatcheries and dairy collection.
