The Federal Government on Thursday in Abuja signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, to improve dairy production in the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, said that government’s target was to ensure each child in the country consumed three pints of milk a day.

According to him, the business of dairy and cattle rearing are fundamental to the nation’s survival and as such government was taking its production seriously.

“The signing of this agreement is the beginning of a very long journey; whoever comes in the future, be it a civil servant or a politician, let them recognise that the country’s existence must continue.

I assure you that whenever there is need for us to review or improve upon what we have signed, do let us know.
Continue to grow and expand, the country is large, the market is huge as it will take a lot to satisfy the country’s demand,” he said.

The minister urged unemployed graduates to venture into cattle rearing as five cattle could earn the keeper N500,000 a month.

He said government was doing a lot to ensure that cattle rustling became a thing of the past in the country.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the company, Rahul Colaco, said the company had over 150 years of experience in dairy development.

He said the mission of the company was to nourish Nigerians with quality dairy products, as many children below the age of five die of malnutrition annually.

Colaco said the company would invest N3 billion into the programme promising that it would also keep to the terms of the agreement.

Source: NAN