Nigeria dairy farmers are mostly pastoralists who are concentrated in rural regions of the country. Dairy production, however, requires the availability of water for animal consumption, milk production, and processing, as well as the irrigation of fodder land, road access and cold storage to ensure the rapid transportation of milk to off-takers and access to markets. To this effect, dairy farmers require critical infrastructure such as boreholes to improve water access, good road networks to transport milk efficiently and cold chain facilities to preserve fresh milk. Unfortunately, rural communities have limited access to key amenities.
According to the National Demographic Health Survey conducted in 2018, 42% of rural households depend on unreliable and unsuitable water sources for drinking. This study also found that 61% of rural households lack access to electricity, which constrains the effective storage of fresh milk and milk products. Milk must be stored between 2ºC-4ºC, otherwise it will begin to spoil, developing a sour odour, off-flavour and curdled consistency. To improve the level of dairy production, this lack of infrastructure must be addressed through the combined efforts of governments, dairy processors, and development organizations.
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It typically takes the average rural farmer 1-3 hours to transport milk to the nearest milk collection point. This distance makes it difficult to deliver fresh milk that meets milk processors’ quality standards. Until recently, no cold chain infrastructure existed for use by dairy farmers. This lack of milk storage facilities has led to major losses of potential income given the highly perishable and delicate nature of fresh milk. As such, addressing the infrastructure deficit would help to encourage dairy production by minimizing waste and boosting dairy farmers’ income.
During the implementation of the Nigerian Dairy Development Program (NDDP), Sahel Consulting noted that most of the participating dairy communities lacked access to safe and potable water in Kano. These communities depend on wells, stagnant water bodies, and streams that generate limited water in the dry season. Only a handful of communities had hand pumps, but many had fallen into disrepair due to a lack of proper management. This lack of potable water contributed to unhygienic milk collection practices by the dairy farmers and reduces the quality of milk produced.
The NDDP, implemented in Kano and Oyo, collaborated with dairy processors to establish milk collection centres near dairy farmers. These milk collection points were equipped with bulk milk tanks that store milk supplied by pastoralists at temperatures low enough to preserve milk quality before it is transported to the processors. With these collection points, dairy farmers spent less time on milk delivery and the quality of milk delivered improved, leading to lower milk rejection volumes by processors. One of the key interventions under the NDDP was the construction of 51 solar-powered boreholes within integrated dairy communities to address difficulty accessing water and to improve hygiene in the dairy production activities.
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Similarly, the Milky Way Project a public-private partnership implemented in Kaduna State has been able to provide some dairy communities with safe and accessible water to enhance dairy production. In October, the Federal Government also supported dairy farmers by inaugurating a milk collection centre in Tassa Dawaakin Kudu LGA in Kano. These cold chain facilities go a long way in helping farmers store fresh milk for longer periods before it is processed, thereby reducing losses incurred by dairy farmers and increasing the availability of fresh milk.
The much-needed growth and development in the dairy sector can be achieved if the government ensures that all basic infrastructure such as good roads, clean water, and energy is provided. The government can also support dairy farmers by building irrigation systems for pasture production. Ultimately, addressing the rural infrastructure deficits will create an enabling environment for rural dairy farmers, increase their household incomes and boost dairy production.
Mohammed Rilwan
Sahel Consulting
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