As the advocacy for job creation gets louder, Milk Value Chain Foundation in partnership with Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS is out to implement the enhancement of youth employment project aimed at addressing youth unemployment in Kaduna State.
The project particularly aimed the pastoral communities of Luumo Kosam and Damau Grazing village milk producer cooperatives in Chikun and Kubau Local Governments.
The Chief Executive Officer of Milk Value Chain Dr. Ishaq Bello said this at an inception workshop organized by the Foundation to sensitize the public on the project Wednesday in Kaduna.
The objectives of the Swiss Cooperation and ECOWAS funded project, he said are youth employment, increased milk supply and improvement in livelihoods of producers which are to be achieved through improving dairy production and feed enterprises.
The Project he said has confederation of traditional stock breeders organizations, National Commission for Nomadic Education and Zaidi Farms as local implementing partners involves training of farmers on all aspects of dairy; linkages; provision of boreholes and in-calf heifers; supplementary feeding; veterinary services; pasture production & conservation and fodder marketing amongst others.
Dr. Bello added that male youth will be trained as fodder entrepreneurs and assets such as pasture and supplementary feed will be provided for them for takeoff. While female youth will be provided with improved cows that have high milk yield and will also be trained and linked to service providers.
Additionally members of the Luumo Kossam and Damau Cooperatives will receive intensive training on Fodder, Feeds & Feeding; Cooperative Formation and Management; Milk and Milking Hygiene; Herd Health and Dairy Business.
There were goodwill messages from traditional stock breeders’ organizations, National Commission for Nomadic Education, NAPRI, NAERLS, federal Ministry of Agriculture and Zaidi Farms The workshop was attended by key stakeholders from governments, development organizations, vendors, research institutes, academia, farmers and the media
