The Gombe State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project has commenced the revalidation and certification of dairy value chain cooperatives across all Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.

 

This strategic initiative aims to strengthen existing cooperatives, ensuring they effectively benefit from project interventions while driving sustainable dairy sector growth.

 

Inspired by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s investment mission to Morocco, the exercise seeks to establish structured dairy clusters that will facilitate the efficient delivery of key support services, including artificial insemination, improved breeding techniques, and access to milk collection infrastructure.

 

L-PRES State Project Coordinator, Professor Usman Bello Abubakar, emphasized the crucial role of cooperatives in enhancing milk production, ensuring quality control, and linking farmers directly with processors.

 

“By organizing dairy farmers into structured groups, we aim to boost productivity, increase profitability, and build a more resilient dairy sector in Gombe State,” he stated.

 

The revalidation team comprising L-PRES Technical Team and the Head of Planning, Research, and Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Cooperatives, conducted on-site visits to each LGA to collect biodata from cooperative members.

 

The revalidation process involves thorough vetting to ensure that all cooperatives meet established criteria and are free from any impediments that could hinder project implementation.

 

This initiative will pave the way for the establishment of milk collection centres within cooperatives, facilitating proper storage, distribution, and transportation to processing facilities.

 

The revalidation team visited all emirates and met with the respective local government chairmen to seek their support and cooperation.

All of the Local Government Council Chairmen expressed happiness with the activity and pledged their full support towards achieving the target.

By streamlining these processes, L-PRES aims to modernize the dairy value chain, minimize post-harvest losses, and enhance commercialization opportunities for smallholder farmers.

 

Ultimately, this exercise will improve coordination, strengthen cooperatives, and support the seamless implementation of L-PRES dairy programs, positioning Gombe State as a leading hub for dairy production in Nigeria.