In response to Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine’s (NAQS) quest to establish donkey and other animal value chains to prevent extinction, ETS Emmalex Global Limited has partnered Nasarawa State government on a donkey and cattle breeding scheme.
The Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Chief Chidebe Sunday Nnabuike, disclosed that it is necessary to tackle extinction of donkey through proper breeding, adding that donkey’s skin is important due to gelatin deposits, which Chinese used for their traditional medicine.
NAQS is a federal government agency created to promote and regulate plant and animal health in connection with the import and export of agricultural products with a view to minimizing the risk to agricultural economy, food safety and the environment.
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The main objective of NAQS is to prevent the introduction, establishment and spread of animal and zoonotic diseases as well as pests of plants and fisheries including their products. NAQS also undertakes emergency protocol to control or manage new pest incursion or disease outbreak in collaboration with key stakeholders.
According to Nnabuike, the company has acquired hectares of land at Angwan Mainasara, in Karshi Development Area of the state, explained that since the acquisition of the land for the rearing of the animals, it had made tremendous progress in donkey and cattle breeding.
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He disclosed that the company would deploy its wealth of experience to assist the Federal Government to check the activities of smugglers who often kill donkeys, adding that the firm would soon extend the same project to Kebbi and some Southern states, where it would replicate the breeding template.