The Federal Government says it will commence artificial insemination of cattle at its different research institutes and centres to aid multiplication of cows and increase milk production in the country.
NAN reports that Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this on Thursday at a programme organised by the Guardians of the Nation International (GOTNI) in Abuja.
Ogbeh said the move will kick-start a programme known as ‘Milk River Project’ which the government was planning to launch soon.He said the insemination would require theimportation of semen from countries like Europe and Brazil to inject into local cows to enable them produce more calves.“There is a new project that is coming. It is known as the Milk River Project.
“We are going to start doing multiplicationsof cows now at different centres.“We bring the semen from Europe, Brazil, sort them out, the female and the male, inseminate the local cows; it enables them produce calves and at six months, we wean them and sell them at a cheaper rate to youths.
“They keep them at the back of their houses; just 10 of them and you don’t needa job for life.“You keep the cows, collect about 25 litres of milk every morning, sell it to a mini processor nearby and earn a lot of money daily,” he said.
