COPENHAGEN: Denmark’s Minister Counsellor in Nigeria, Mr. Jacob Erikstrup, on Wednesday said his government and some Danish companies’ planned to support Nigeria in boosting her local milk production.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that in spite of the large importation of milk produce from Demark to Nigeria, local production of milk needed to be increased in Nigeria.
Erikstrup said that Danish Company, Arla Foods, had, therefore, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture to increase local milk production in the country.
“As a way of encouraging local milk production in Nigeria and other West African countries, a Danish Company – Arla Foods – has introduced `The Milking Way to Development’ to Nigeria’s Ministry of Agriculture.
“The Milking Way to Development is a programme aimed at making Nigerian local farmers become better milk producers for local consumption and even for export.
“We are actually looking at the possibility of seeing more Nigerians produce more themselves even if there will still be an importation from Denmark,” he said.
The Minister Counsellor said that it was imperative for Nigerian local milk producing farmers to produce more milk for the increasing Nigerian population and market.
He said that with the increasing Nigeria’s population, more local production of milk was needed to be able to satisfy the people’s high demand for milk.
Erikstrup said that while Nigeria was currently importing “thousands and thousands of milk produce from Denmark, Nigerian local farmers were still producing less milk for local consumption”.
“Nigeria currently imports thousands and thousands of tonnes of dairy products from Denmark, while less tonnes of milk are being produced in Nigeria.
“We need to know that Nigeria has an increasing population that would also continue to lead to a high demand for milk.
“Nigeria still needs to import milk produce for quite some years ahead but, it all depends on how quick she can make the transformation of her agriculture sector a reality,” he said.
