President Bola Tinubu’s bold steps on the exportation of agricultural products to the global market will encourage both livestock and crop farmers to double their efforts in production, Donkey Dealers Association (DDA) has said.
President of the association, Dike Ifeanyi Obinna made this known while speaking with journalists in Abuja.
Obinna, while congratulating the new Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, Dr. Godwin Sunday Audu, pledged to work with him to rid the donkey value chain of smugglers.
He offered the support of the Association in order to achieve the President’s declaration of exportation of agro-products.
“This move will encourage both livestock and crop farmers to double their efforts in production knowing that there is a market for their products to be sold.
“We the members of Donkey Dealers Association are so delighted that the present administration headed by President Bola Tinubu has decided to encourage agriculture and when we are talking about agriculture, we are not just talking about crop agriculture, we have livestock.
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“We are also trying to encourage and support every strategy that is going to increase the exportation of agricultural products because agriculture is the bedrock of the economy.
“Donkey being a livestock should also be encouraged for export because donkey has an economic value in the global market”, Dike said.
He called on the Federal Government, the NAQS to bring smuggling and incessant killing of donkeys to a halt.
He, however, appealed to President Tinubu to assist the Association with land where they can breed, ranch donkey and also develop pasture to feed the animals, this according to him will lead Nigeria into becoming the donkey hub for Africa.
Furthermore, the Association tasked President Tinubu to take steps towards stopping donkey smugglers from sabotaging the efforts being made in improving the donkey value chain.
He added that some Chinese smugglers and some local conspirators are killing donkeys and smuggling the products out of the country which he said may lead to the extinction of the livestock.