Ikun Dairy Farm, which is now fully operational for livestock and milk production following a $5m investment by Promasidor, has procured 250 new cows from Texas to add to the existing ones. Within the next 18-24 months, 10,000 litres of milk is expected to be produced from the factory
This development is a result of the pact that was sealed on behalf of Ekiti State by the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and the Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Anders Einarsson on July 23, 2019, in Abuja.
This partnership attracted a new investment of $5 million into Ikun Dairy Farm that is being used to purchase equipment, provide the appropriate herd of cattle, and develop an out-grower scheme for providing feed for the cattle.
Governor Fayemi’s administration has also cleared over 250 Hectares of land for the cultivation of hay, brachiaria, and cassava at the Dairy Farm. This land clearing will sustain the out-grower scheme for providing feed to the new cows imported from Texas, which is the largest producer of hay in the United States.
As productivity and revenue increase, Ikun Dairy Farm will create hundreds of jobs directly for youths, and indirectly improve the economy of Ikun-Ekiti, neighbouring communities, and Ekiti State at large.
The estimated daily milk production of 10,000 litres within the next 18-24 months will require a speedy and reliable mode of transportation for rapid delivery to local markets and exports. This sector will be a huge economic benefit for the Ekiti Agro-Allied cargo connectivity.
The Ekiti Cargo airport, a supporting enabler of economic growth, will be central to evacuating agricultural products from the Special Agriculture Processing Zone (SAPZ) to distant markets and national/global supply chains swiftly and reliably. Large quantities of cash crops (cocoa, plantain, oil palm) and staple foods (yam, cassava, maize, rice) from SAPZ will be transported within and outside the country at record speed to ensure the early-to-market advantage.
The Cargo airport is a critical component of this administration’s growth strategy to make Ekiti an agro cargo vehicle, a knowledge hub, and a regional hub serving the southwest and middle belt food basket region; attracting skilled migration to boost IGR; improving commercial activity as a “dry port” for fresh and processed products, and making Ekiti State a logistics hub in the agro-allied industry.
The revitalization of the Ikun Dairy Farm is part of the holistic plan of Governor Fayemi’s administration to diversify the state’s economy and sustain continued investments in the agricultural sector.
Last modified: March 3, 2021
