Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has launched the distribution of livestock production equipment and agricultural inputs to about 5,000 farmer cooperatives across the state as part of efforts to strengthen the livestock value chain and boost rural livelihoods.
Gatekeepers News reports that the intervention programme covers farmers drawn from all 23 local government areas of Kaduna State, with each cooperative made up of 10 members expected to benefit directly from the initiative.
Speaking during the launch of the programme in Kaduna, Sani, represented by the Deputy Governor, Hadiza Balarabe, said the initiative forms part of his administration’s strategy to transform the state into the agricultural and livestock hub of northern Nigeria.
As part of the intervention, the state government distributed 500 solar-powered freezers equipped with panels, inverters and batteries, 300 feed milling machines, 3,000 bags of poultry feed, and 200,000 day-old chicks to the farmer cooperatives.
According to the Governor, the equipment is expected to increase productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, improve product quality and expand income opportunities, particularly for women and young people who play a major role in the livestock value chain in Kaduna.
Sani also highlighted previous investments by the state government in livestock development, including the rehabilitation of abattoirs and slaughter slabs, construction of veterinary clinics and boreholes in pastoral communities, and deployment of mobile veterinary teams to improve animal healthcare services.
He added that vaccination campaigns in the state have already protected over 850,000 cattle, 250,000 sheep and goats, 250,000 poultry, and 5,000 dogs from transboundary diseases, helping to safeguard both farmers’ livelihoods and public health.
The Governor further urged beneficiaries to use the equipment responsibly to strengthen cooperative farming and expand the economic impact of the programme across rural communities.
