Security
THE National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) said that it would beam its searchlight in fixing the recurrent farmer herders clashes associated with bio-resources availability in the country.
Prof. Alex Akpa, Acting Director-General of the agency, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of a five day workshop on international training on livestock assisted reproductive techniques on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that the training was strategic to change the narratives in livestock sub-sector.
He said NABDA had positioned itself as a leading partner to deploy appropriate cutting edge biotechnology to support the agricultural science and agribusiness in Nigeria.
He said that the agency had the mandate to deploy bio-technologies in the socio-economic development of the country.
According to him, NABDA has become a strategic collaborator with Mississippi State University USA and SMAP FARMS Ltd.
“This is in our collective bid to sustainably manage the animal genetic resources in Nigeria for the livestock value chain optimisation.
“We are working together to host the international training on livestock assisted reproductive techniques,” he said.
The D-G said the training would help to reposition animal agriculture in Nigeria through strategic interventions to support the Federal Government’s effort towards resolving the issues in livestock sub sector.
Dr Mustapha Popoola, the facilitator of the workshop, said that the training was to step down the country’s assisted techniques in animal reproduction in Africa.
According to him, what we have noticed over the years is that people carry out a lot of artificial insemination to improve their animals which is just one out of the many methods and there are a lot of failures recorded in that.
“So instead of animal getting a lot of productivity through that artificial insemination, they are getting smaller year by year,” he said.
He noted that it was evidence that there was a big challenge, adding that this was why many people were no longer interested in the business of livestock.
According to him, if they know they can raise animal within six months and get it into market, they will embrace it.
“So part of the critical issue that people are messing up is the issue of animal reproduction, just like in human being, when somebody cannot conceive they can go for IVF.
He said that animal could also conceive through IVF to ensure there was an improvement in productivity.
NAN
– Nov. 26, 2019 @ 18:35 GMT |
Tags: farmer clashes NABDA moves to address herders
