The Ondo State Government, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, has empowered livestock farmers across the state with the provision of 166 livestock feed-processing machines called Fodder Choppers equipment.
It was gathered that the gesture was under the Livestock Project and Resilience Support Project, a collaboration between the state Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Over 3,000 livestock across the state were said to be beneficiaries of the project.
At the distribution of the machines to concerned farmers on Friday, the state governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Olayide Adelami, said the development was part of his administration’s efforts to improve the state’s agricultural sector.
He said, “As part of our resolve to support increased yields in our targeted value chain and increasing the worth of sales through increased productivity, our administration through the L-PRES Project domiciled in the state Ministry of Agriculture procured 165 grass chopper equipment for ease of processing of foliage for goats/sheep supply chain for the various profiled clusters and beneficiaries.
“This distribution exercise we are witnessing today is not just about the handover of equipment; it is a significant step towards solving one of the most persistent challenges that have bedevilled livestock production across the country, amongst which are poor feed utilisation efficiency and low productivity among smallholder farmers.
“In Ondo State, we recognise the importance of sheep and goat farming as not only a critical source of livelihood and food security for thousands of rural dwellers but also its untapped potential in propelling inclusive economic growth.
“However, this has remained elusive due to the issue of inadequate and low-quality feed our farmers have been grappling with, especially during the dry season when forage availability declines drastically.”
The governor also explained that the distribution of the 165 fodder choppers was a practical and impactful intervention to enhance forage utilisation.
“By enabling farmers to cut crop residues and forage into more digestible forms, these machines would have helped to reduce feed wastage, improve intake and significantly optimise the nutritional value of available feed resources, which will in turn lead to, improved weight gain and productivity in small ruminants, shorter production cycles, increased income for rural households and enhanced resilience against climate-related feed shortages,” he stated.
In his remarks, the state Coordinator of the L-PRES Project, Mr Olufemi Adeogun said the intervention project was not just about equipment but a symbol of commitment to value-chain development, mechanisation, and support for grassroots agriculture.
“It is a clear demonstration that when government, partners, and communities work together, we can unlock the full potential of our agricultural sector,” the coordinator noted.
He admonished the beneficiaries to take full ownership of the equipment and use it efficiently.
“Share knowledge with your peers. Maintain the equipment well, and most importantly, let us work together to scale up best practices that can be replicated across the country,” he charged.
