The Ekiti State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support, or L-PRES initiative, has begun cluster formation across the state’s 16 local government areas.
The initiative aims to increase livestock productivity and resilience among the state’s farmers.
Mrs Adenike Omoleye, L-PRES’s Value Chain Officer, spoke during the event in Ikere Ekiti on the importance of cluster development in enhancing livestock farmers’ livelihoods. She stated that farmers may share expertise, resources, and best practices, which would result in higher production and profitability if they work in clusters.
Omoleye examined market trends, demand, and prices to identify opportunities for livestock farmers, identify gaps in the livestock value chain, and devise strategies to address them, such as developing market linkages that would connect farmers to markets, processors, and other value chain stakeholders.
She emphasized the importance of profiling on farms to promote livestock breeders.
According to her, existing groups and cooperative societies will be combined into clusters spanning value chains such as poultry, sheep/goat, pig, and beef, and L-PRES would work with groups rather than individuals.
Earlier, in her remarks, L-PRES Extension Officer Mrs. Olubunmi Ajayi emphasized the project’s commitment to providing technical assistance to farmers.
“Our team of experts will work closely with farmers to identify their needs and provide solutions to improve their livestock production,” Ajayi said the crowd.
She stated that bringing farmers together to discuss their mutual interests, aims, and issues will aid in identifying livestock producers who could benefit from cluster creation and conducting surveys to understand their needs, constraints and opportunities.
Mr Muyiwa Adelodun, L-PRES’s Animal Husbandry Officer, emphasized the importance of sustainable livestock production practices in his presentation.
“As we support farmers to improve their productivity, we must also ensure that they adopt environmentally friendly practices to safeguard the future of our livestock industry,” according to him.
The cluster formation exercise is planned to span all 16 local government areas in Ekiti State, with the South Central District being the first to benefit from it.
The L-PRES project is a six-year endeavor to boost livestock productivity, resilience, and commercialization in the state.
