Lagos State Government has called for private sector partnership in its efforts to establish feedlots. The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Absiola Olusanya, on Thursday, said that the move is part of the reforms to sanitise the red meat production goals for 2021.
Olusanya spoke at a Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Red Meat Value Chain held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja.
She said that this partnership became necessary as it would ensure better production and supply of cattle for consumption by the residents of the state. She said that when operational, the feedlots would help revive and resuscitate cows that might have travelled from far cities such as Sokoto, Jalingo, Bauchi and Jigawa to Lagos before slaughtering them. She said that the feedlot system would also help in fattening cows and improve the quality of beef before they are slaughtered as well as increase profit for butchers and meat sellers.
She said that the state government was already working toward setting-up the feedlots this year, saying ‘we are takingoff the establishment of the feedlots this month (March).’
According to her, we have been having discussions around the transformation agenda centred on abattoirs, transportation and markets but there is a revised plan to have a more holistic approach to the red meat value chain.
“We are not just focusing on abattoirs alone; we are starting right from the animal identification and traceability systems. This means right from the source or point of origination of the cattle.
“Everything is going to be private sector driven as the government is only going to create the necessary enabling environment.
“We have land in Lagos that can be used for this and that is what Gov.Babajide Sanwo-Olu wants in the State,” Olusanya said.
The commissioner said that there was a need for the establishment of more abattoirs in the state to cater to the needs of no fewer than its 22 million people.
She explained that the illegal slaughter slabs are springing up within the state because there are no enough abattoirs to take care of slaughtering the cattle.
The commissioner also noted that the stakeholders’ engagement was a strategic approach to meet with key players in the red meat value chain. It is also to jointly discuss ways to develop and sustain the sector as well as listen to their grievances and challenges.
She said. “Lagos consumes well over 1.8 million herds of cattle and over 1.4 million herds of sheep and goats respectively on an annual basis.
“Lagos consumes well over 50 per cent of what Nigeria produces in terms of red meat.”
The commissioner said that the state government would collaborate with the butchers’ association, Lagos State chapter, which has a membership of over 30,000 butchers.
Earlier, the Chairman, Lagos State Butchers Association, Mr Bamidele Kazeem said that the association was ready to partner with the state government on the establishment of feedlots to boost food security in red meat production.
He, however, urged the government to address the challenges confronting meat production which include poor economy, epileptic power supply and poor infrastructure.
