Life and labour of Sokoto’s imported cattle breed

Some months ago, 117 Jersey cattle arrived Nigeria from South Africa to kick off the Sokoto Cattle Breeding Programme. They have been distributed to farmers in the state and have begun their journey to boost the country’s beef and dairy product. Our correspondent reports on the scheme. A calf stood up rather gingerly and fixed its […]

Some months ago, 117 Jersey cattle arrived Nigeria from South Africa to kick off the Sokoto Cattle Breeding Programme. They have been distributed to farmers in the state and have begun their journey to boost the country’s beef and dairy product. Our correspondent reports on the scheme.

A calf stood up rather gingerly and fixed its gaze forward as some visitors to the barn move towards it, its striking fawn-shade, characteristic of the Jersey breed, bright and fresh.

Born in Sokoto, it is now homebred, but its origin is not. Some months again, 117 cattle arrived from South Africa to form the foundation batch of the Sokoto Cattle Breeding Programme, which has been many years in the making.

Now that the foundation batch is breeding  and with milk production multiplying for the beneficiaries who are owners of existing breeding farms now referred to as clusters, the programme is well on the way.

Some of the Jersey cows were pregnant from source and almost all the animals are said to be expectant now. So also the local Sokoto Gudali attached to them for cross-breeding.

“We have started milking, and we are getting up to 12 litres daily after the calf might have fed,” said Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Abdullahi. He is one of 13 cluster farmers who got nine livestock as part of the cattle breeding initiative.

“I received six cows and three bulls. We have got the first calf, a female, and now we have seven female Jerseys.”

The multi-billion naira breeding programme eventually took off nine years after the contract for its establishment was signed.

In 2010, the administration of Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko signed a contract with an Argentine firm, South American Breeding Technologies (SABT) to establish the programme aimed at revolutionizing livestock production, including in genetic procedure, meat processing and milk making.

The cattle reproduction component was proposed to involve artificial insemination, embryo transplant and laboratories for research with a target of inseminating 30,000 cows annually.

The initiative did not take off in the life of that administration, and so the Aminu Tambuwal-administration, already in its second term, inherited it.

“We brought in 117 cattle,” Commissioner for Animal Health and Fisheries Development, Sokoto, Prof. Abdulkadir Junaidu confirmed after the livestock arrived in March from South Africa. “It was supposed to be more, around 500, but by the time the money was released, due to the exchange rate then, it came down to [this] figure.”

Questions arose as to why the livestock arrived from South Africa when the contract was signed with an Argentine firm.

“There was no issue as they almost completed the job with only the supply of animals remaining, and when we raised this issue of temperature, they also agreed,” the commissioner said.

He explained that animals in Argentina pant at a temperature of 20 degrees. At 40 degrees, Sokoto’s weather might not be ideal for them and so the idea of South African livestock came up and after assessment, the decision was made.

“We were able to choose breeds that are extremely good and can survive this environment. Luckily, the Governor approved,” he said.

The 13 clusters are located across some local government areas of Sokoto among which are Wamakko, Dange Shuni, Yabo, Sokoto, and Tambuwal and the farmers were selected based on some criteria.

“First and foremost, you need to apply and must have a farm with some animals through which we see the level of your seriousness,” he said. “We identified farmers who are genuine farmers. We went to the farms and accessed them and we made sure that before we gave them, they had animals that will crossbreed with the ones we brought.”

The arrangement is being managed as a loan where the farmers were required to pay 50 per cent and have some equipment in place. Each farmer has been assigned a doctor who visits the farm to look after the animals and keeps record of their development. For the commissioner, already, the scheme has created more jobs with more people needed on the farms.

With local breeds capable of producing between one and four litres of milk daily, the Jersey cow can produce 20 litres daily, while cross breeds could produce between eight and 10 litres daily.

Where as in South Africa, the price of a litre of petrol is just about the same as the price of a litre of milk, the price is far higher in Nigeria.

In terms of the meat value, the professor believes crossbred cows would weigh as much as 400 to 500kg, almost mimicking the weight of the pure breeds.

For Alhaji Abdullahi, who has been in business for over 20 years, the animals and cluster equipment would help farmers immensely.

At his farm, with cluster machines, including milking equipment, loader, and stalls installed, Abdullahi seemed glad to be a participant.

“Without government, I don’t think we could get all these [equipment] at a time because it is capital intensive,” he said.

His farm could take between 80 and 100 cows. He is looking forward to the expansion if all goes well. For now, he said he is getting about 12 litres of milk from a cow daily as opposed to the two to three litres from the local breed.

“The weather is not friendly now. Later on, we may be able to get up to 20 litres per calf daily,” he said.

He expects his daily yield to increase once two of the cows give birth and is projecting between 200 and 300 litres when the numbers rise to 20 cows. He is already planning on getting milk processing machineries in place to cope with this projection.

To reduce the heat on the animals, Abdullahi explained that he often directs  the cows to a cool spot on the farm.

“They are now very familiar with the spot. They go there directly when we open the gate and do not come back until evening,” he said.

Abdullahi, a Fulani man, is impressed by the Jersey breed.

“Anything you train them on, they easily pick it and do it,” he said. “If all herdsmen embrace the cluster, it will solve the clashes [between farmers and herders] because each person would remain in his cluster,” he said.

Another farmer, Sidi Hakibu, with 15 years in dairy business, said, “The programme is helping us. Having this equipment is a huge achievement, and will help grow the economy.”

The large-scale dairy owner said he hopes to raise his daily milk yield from less than 1,000 litres to 10,000 litres within the next three years.

“If one cluster farmer can achieve 10,000 litres per day, with value addition, that is about six million naira, it will boost any economy,” he said.

Director Veterinary Services at the Ministry of Animal Health, Dr Adamu Abdulkadir, said the programme also has a planting component to it.

“We have isolated 1,000 hectares of land, cleared, fenced and divided the land into two. We have 400 hectares meant for irrigation in the dry season while we are going to use 400 during the rainy season,” he said.

According to the veterinary expert, Napier grass (elephant grass) is being produced for the animals because it aids milk production.

“It is meant for our animals and animals of cluster farmers. Weekly, we ask cluster farmers to come and cut the grasses for free. We also encourage them to take seedling and plant in their farms. Some of the farmers have planted about two hectares, three hectares.”

Other things they need for successful cultivation such as preserving equipment, feed gadgets have been acquired while liquid nitrogen for the preservations of live cells, semen and embryo is now produced in Sokoto. In the past, this had to be procured from Jos and Port Harcourt. Nine have been equipped with the devices and plans are being made for the other four. Also, the old dairy plant, built in 1970, has been rehabilitated to carter for the projected increased milk supply.

While other farmers feel left out of the programme, governemtn officials insist the programme is going to expand. Professor Junaidu for instance insists more animals are on their way.

“We are still working on bringing more,” he said. “We have the approval already to bring more than 500.”

Even these numbers may not be enough.

“We know we will not be able to give live animals to every farmer,” Director Abdulkadir said. “What we will do is to bring in semen and embryo where we can do artificial insemination for those that are interested,” he said.

To this end, they have plans to renovate the research and innovation centre at Dogondaji.

“Those who are interested and have animals should register in our various centres or our headquarters,” he said.

For those who have the breed already, it is a new experience. For those yet to, the long wait continues.