NOTAP trains herders, entrepreneurs on modern dairy development

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has trained herders and dairy entrepreneurs on modern technology for dairy development in Kwara State. While declaring the event open in Ilorin, Kwara State, yesterday, the Director-General of NOTAP, Dr DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim, represented by the Director Consultancy Services of NOTAP, Dr Adamu Tandama said that […]

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has trained herders and dairy entrepreneurs on modern technology for dairy development in Kwara State.

While declaring the event open in Ilorin, Kwara State, yesterday, the Director-General of NOTAP, Dr DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim, represented by the Director Consultancy Services of NOTAP, Dr Adamu Tandama said that Nigeria was blessed with a high number of cattle but due to the nomadic way of life, Nigerian cows yield small quantity of milk.

The situation he said was further compounded by poor and inadequate knowledge on the modern techniques of cow breeding.

He said that Vietnam and the Netherlands that are the highest producers of milk did not have the number of cows Nigeria has but they apply the global best practices in cattle breeding to ensure high milk yield.

The director-general noted that cows that produce enough milk are ranched in a center where they are well fed with adequate hygiene assured.

He advised the dairy entrepreneurs to form corporate societies and groups as history has shown that the level of success for individual dairy entrepreneurs/farmers is far less than when they form groups.

Dr  Ibrahim further stated that in order to ensure technology transfer and global best practices in dairy production, the office in 2013 opened a partnership with Friesland Campina WAMCO who established mini milk collection centers in Ibadan, Oyo State.

He added that the company built a settlement for the Fulani herders, ranched their cows and introduced them to the modern methods of growing cows and milking processes which has turned to a lucrative business for even the non-Fulani’s around the locality.

During the technical session, the participants were introduced to the key elements of entrepreneurship which will be a guide for high success rate in their businesses as well as the modern techniques in product marketing.