The Lagos State Government (LASG) has called for private sector partnership in its efforts to  establish feedlots for livestock rearing and fattening.

The move is part of the reforms and sanitise the red meat production goals for 2021, said the  State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Absiola Olusanya, on Wednesday  in Lagos.

Olusanya spoke at a Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Red Meat Value Chain held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja.

She  said that this partnership became necessary as it would ensure better production and supply of cattle for consumption by  the residents of  the state.

She said  that when operational, the feedlots would help revive and resuscitate cows that might have travelled from far cities such as:Sokoto, Jalingo, Bauchi and Jigawa to Lagos before slaughtering them.

She said that the  the feedlot system would also help in fattening  cows and improve the quality of beef before they are slaughtered as well as increase profit for butchers and meat sellers.

She said that the state government was already working toward setting-up the feedlots this year, saying “we are actually taking-off  the establishment of the feedlots this month (March).”

According to her, we have been having discussions around the transformation agenda centered on abattoirs, transportation and markets but there is a revised plan to have a more holistic approach to the red meat value chain.

“We are not just focusing on abattoirs alone; we are starting right from the animal identification and traceability systems. This means right from the source or point of origination of the cattle.

“Everything is going to be private-sector driven as government is only going to create the necessary enabling environment.

“We have land in Lagos that can be used for this and that is what Gov.Babajide Sanwo-Olu wants in the State,” Olusanya said.

The commissioner said  that there was the  need for the  establishment of more abattoirs in the state to cater for the needs of no fewer than its 22 million people.

She explained that the illegal slaughter slabs are  springing up within the state because there are no enough abattoirs to take care of slaughtering the cattle.

The commissioner also noted that the stakeholders’ engagement was a strategic approach to meet with key players in the red meat value chain.

It is also to jointly  discuss ways to develop and sustain the sector as well as listen to their grievances and challenges  she said.

“Lagos consumes well over 1.8 million herds of cattle and over 1.4 million herds of sheep and goats respectively on an annual basis.

“Lagos consumes well over 50 per cent of what Nigeria produces in terms of red meat,” she said.

The commissioner said that  the state government would  collaborate with the butchers’ association, Lagos State chapter, which has a membership of over 30,000 butchers.

“We will be working with the concessionaires’ forum as well as the medical doctors and the veterinary doctors who are in charge of animal inspections and clinical activities.

“The idea is what can we do to track the way forward for this sector and these are the stakeholders that have critical parts to play in all of these.

“We have so many other channels for sales of red meat coming up nowadays, you have meat sharing, online platforms, we need to address all of these issues.

” But we can’t do it without engaging the stakeholders, hence, the need for the forum today,” she said.

Earlier, the Chairman, Lagos State Butchers Association, Mr Bamidele Kazeem, had  commended the state government for its efforts to upgrade the production of red meat and pledged the support of the association.

Kazeem said that  the association was ready to partner the state government on the establishment of feedlots to boost food security in the red meat production.

He, however, urged the  government to address the challenges confronting meat production which include poor economy, epileptic power supply and poor infrastructure.

Mr Olawale Talabi, a concessionaire, urged the government to implement  the existing laws as well as proscribe the use of slaughter slabs in the red meat production.

Talabi said that there was  the need for butchers to work together with concessionaires in order to standardise red meat processing and marketing in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that reports that Talabi is also the Chairman, Pal Meat Slaughtering Mechanised Line at the state abattoir, Oko-Oba, Agege. (NAN)

Photo caption:

From left, Mr Hakeem Adeniji, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture; Ms Abisola Olusanya, State Commissioner for Agriculture discussing with Dr Rasheed Macaulay, Director  of Veterinary Service in the ministry during the Stakeholders’ Engagement on Red Meat value chain on Wednesday in Lagos.