Federal Government commences distribution of breeding jennies and feeds to small holder donkey farmers in Adamawa

By Atanga Philip

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Animal Husbandry Services, Tuesday commenced distribution of twenty five breeding Jennies and Feeds to small holder donkey farmers in Adamawa state.

The event held at the Ministry’s office, in Yola town was aimed at encouraging reproduction of donkeys to avert their extinction, and drew beneficiaries from the twenty one local governments.

Speaking, the Deputy Director, Animal and Husbandry Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Eleojo Joseph Ako expressed the Ministry’s commitment to boosting agriculture especially in the area of raising and breeding animals.

He urged the beneficiaries to make the most of the opportunity provided to enhance their economic fortunes.

Mr. Ako who enumerated economic and other benefits of the female donkeys distributed and cautioned the beneficiaries against selling them.

In his address, the National President, Donkeys Value Chain, DVC, Alhaji Abubakar Baba Kagu described the donkey as one of the ancient domestic livestock that has value and ability to survive under hash conditions which is also important for rural transportation and farming particularly in the northern parts of the country.

Malam Kagu added that the animal supports the livelihood of the rural population in many domestic chores.

He pointed out that the objective of the association is to engage stakeholders in identifying the challenges facing donkey breeding develop a massive sustainable production of donkeys in the country as well as identify sources of intervention to support the existing and prospective donkey farmers.

Alhaji Kagu noted that Nigeria is one of the countries with relatively large population of donkeys estimated at over nine hundred thousand.

The association National President explained that  overtime, the stakeholders engagement deemed it imperative   to attach premium to business due to emergence of large scale global trading in donkey skin, with estimated minimum of one point eight million donkey skins being traded annually especially in Africa at ten million per annum globally.

In his remark, the Adamawa state commissioner for Agriculture and Human Resources, Malam Iya Daware applauded the federal government for the initiative.

The commissioner who was represented by the director Ministry of Agriculture in Adamawa state, Mrs Dunama Azura expressed the interest of the state government in the programme and pledged to be supportive of similar interventions.