By Yunusa Isa, Gombe
The Gombe State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project, has organized a two day workshop for 33 livestock extension agents on modern animal husbandry skills and practices towards boosting livestock production in Gombe State.
In his welcome address, the L-PRES State Project Coordinator, Professor Usman Bello Abubakar, said the workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of extension agents to educate the farmers on new ideas, developments and practices to modernize and improve animal husbandry practices in the state.
The coordinator said the training, which is the first of its kind in the state, will also develop the participants’ communication skills to effectively communicate and disseminate information to farmers.
Professor Bello Abubakar assured that the training is going to be continuous, to keep the farmers abreast on modern techniques and practices in livestock farming.
He said in an effort to improve livestock farming in Gombe State, the project is upgrading livestock markets in Kashere, Leggal and Bajoga to standard, maintaining that courtesy of L-PRES, Gombe has the best livestock diagnostic center in Northern Nigeria.
Professor U.B. Abubakar added that the state is ahead of others in L-PRES implementation across the 20 participating states in the country.
He commended the state governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for his foresight in bringing the project to Gombe State.
Speaking while declaring the workshop open, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives Dr Barnabas Malle charged the participants to focus much on the training and step down the knowledge to the local farmers.
The commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Ibrahim Yakubu Usman, said Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has passion for agriculture, hence his focus in improving the livestock sub sector in the state.
He said the governor has recently flagged off a cattle vaccination campaign against livestock killer diseases in the state, and equally allocated a plot of land for Federal Government to construct a veterinary hospital along Liji for improved livestock farming in the state.
The Commissioner commended Gombe L-PRES Project for organizing the training, describing it as timely and welcome development.
The participants who were drawn from all the 11 Local Government Areas of Gombe State, were taken through various paper presentations and practicals on best livestock farming practices.