FG: Year-Round Feed Supply Key to Boosting Livestock Productivity

"The introduction of quality concentrate feeds was particularly relevant to the development of commercial feedlot systems for cattle and other livestock." Maiha.

The Federal Government has identified year-round availability of affordable and nutritionally balanced animal feed as critical to improving livestock productivity and building a more competitive livestock industry in Nigeria.

Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, stated this on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the launch of Olam Agri’s TrueValue Cattle Feed in Kaduna, stressing that Nigeria’s livestock sector could not fully realise the genetic potential of its animals without adequate nutrition.

Maiha said good genetics must be matched with good nutrition to achieve optimal growth, milk production, fertility, animal health and overall farm productivity.

He noted that feed constitutes one of the major costs of livestock production, stressing that its quality and availability have a direct bearing on animal health, growth and survivability.

According to him, ensuring feed availability throughout the year through fodder, crop residues or concentrates is fundamental to sustainable livestock production, with broader implications for food security, economic prosperity and peaceful livestock management.

The minister said the introduction of quality concentrate feeds was particularly relevant to the development of commercial feedlot systems for cattle and other livestock.

He explained that when concentrates are combined with quality fodder, clean water and sound animal husbandry practices, they can improve feed conversion, accelerate weight gain and shorten finishing periods, thereby enabling farmers to take healthier and better-finished animals to market.

Maiha further stated that a stronger feed industry would stimulate investment across the wider livestock value chain, including feedlots, abattoirs, meat processing, packaging, transportation and marketing.

“A more productive and reliable feed industry will ensure the regular supply of quality cattle, sheep, and goats to our abattoirs. It will also encourage investment in modern feedlots, slaughter facilities, meat processing, culture infrastructure, packaging, branding, transportation, and marketing,” he said.

The Minister, however, called for a coordinated approach to developing Nigeria’s feed and fodder sector, involving fodder producers, crop farmers, feed manufacturers, livestock producers, research institutions, financial institutions and processors.

He also stressed the need for improved feed testing, appropriate ration formulation, certification of commercial feeds and stronger quality assurance measures to control contaminants, while urging increased production and conservation of quality fodder.

Maiha commended Olam Agri for its investment in Nigeria’s livestock sector, describing the launch of TrueValue Cattle Feed as a practical contribution to the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise livestock production and build a productive, commercially viable and sustainable industry.

He urged the company to make its feeds accessible and affordable to farmers and complement the product with farmer training, feeding demonstrations and collaboration with research and regulatory institutions.

Speaking at the event, Olam Agri’s President and Global Head of Animal Feeds and Proteins Business, Sharad Gupta, said the company was leveraging its established feed business and distribution network to introduce its cattle feed into the Nigerian market.

Gupta explained that while the cattle feed distribution network was still being developed, the company would combine its existing feed dealers with established players in the cattle sector who already have direct relationships with livestock farmers.

He said Olam Agri was focused on making TrueValue Cattle Feed competitively priced rather than pursuing small volumes at high prices, adding that the company intended to leverage its scale in sourcing, processing and distribution to achieve efficiencies and pass the benefits on to farmers.

“We are not looking to make small quantities and sell them at high price. We are looking to make large quantities and keep them very, very tightly competitively priced,” Gupta said.

He added that Olam Agri already sources more than 90 per cent of the raw materials for its existing poultry feed business locally, including corn, soy, rice bran, groundnut cake, minerals and limestone.

Gupta said the company’s wheat milling operations also provide access to wheat bran, an important ingredient in ruminant feed production.

The development is expected to strengthen efforts to improve livestock nutrition, productivity and commercialisation while supporting investment across Nigeria’s broader livestock value chain.