Kwara State Reforms Livestock Sector for Food Security

The Kwara State Government is implementing reforms in the livestock sector aimed at enhancing food security, job creation, and increasing incomes for farmers and pastoralists. Oloruntoyosi Thomas, the State Commissioner for Livestock Development, announced these goals while reviewing the achievements of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq's administration.

The reforms have led to a 28.3% increase in average milk production per cow, rising from 274.5 litres to 352.2 litres by 2025. Additionally, average cattle carcass weight increased from 135kg to 190.8kg, and sheep carcass weight rose from 14.2kg to 23.7kg, representing improvements of 41.3% and 66.7%, respectively.

The progress is attributed to interventions in animal health, farmer training, and infrastructure development. Since the commencement of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) in October 2023, 238,718 animals have been vaccinated, benefiting over 1,100 farmers.

The government has also rehabilitated the veterinary laboratory in Ilorin and developed integrated ruminant farming clusters.