Miyetti Allah says its members can meet Nigeria’s milk needs

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), has said that Nigeria has more than enough cows and pastoralists to meet its citizens’ milk requirements.
General Secretary, MACBAN, Othman Ngelzarma, told the newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday that the major challenge in milk production in the country is inadequate milk processors and collation centres to uptake pastoralists’ production locally.
The general secretary specifically noted that the country currently has over 70 million cows, adding that three litres output of milk per cow daily was enough to meet the nation’s milk  requirement if collated effectively.
The Central Bank of Nigeria last July implemented a policy barring importers of milk from
having access to foreign exchange (forex).
Mr Ngelzarma noted that due to the inadequate milk processors locally and collation centres across the country, pastoralists ended up conveying their milk in calabash for sale at low cost  thereby leading to wastage.
He, however, urged the Federal Government to encourage more local processors of milk  within the country and improve their capacity in order to boost milk production and reduce  wastage.
Mr Ngelzarma emphasised that such measures would also encourage the pastoralists to live sedentary lives rather than moving from one place to the other and encourage them to educate their children.