Niger imports 700 goats, 72 cattle from S’Africa

Niger State Government on Tuesday received delivery of 700 boar goats, 72 young South African cattle, as well as indigenous South African doper sheep that will adapt to the dry climate of the northern part of Nigeria. The state Commissioner for Livestocks and Fisheries, Dr. Yahaya Vatsa, said an approval was granted to procure some cattle, goats and sheep in an efforts to improve on the livestocks sub sector in the state. While taking the delivery of the animals from the South African supplier and Veterinary Doctor, Dr. Herman de Bruin at Tagwai Dam near Tunga Goro close to Minna the state capital yesterday, Vatsa said “these animals arrived in Minna from South Africa and we are the first in the history of this country to import these animals to improve on our local breeds.” He added that, presently the state has 700 of the goats and sheep and 72 of the cattle of different species. They can survive in the state’s environment as well as in other northern parts of the country. He said, “the importers had made provision for likelihood of any mortality replacement because the state government was keen at making sure that these animals get across to all nooks and crannies of Niger State, with the view that people can breed them in order to multiply so that it would eventually improve on the already existing local breeds in the state. “The animals would be sold to interested buyers from the state at subsidised rates and at the cost price it obtained in Southern Africa, while the government was not going to charge the buyers extra fees like the transport or customs duty and other charges that were accrued to the importation of the young animals into the country. “A team of Veterinary Doctors will closely monitor them for any form of care or diseases that might come up. These animals have been immunised against common and dangerous diseases we have in our environment.” Meanwhile, the South African Importer, Dr. Herman de Bruin, has put the ages of the cattle to about 14 to 16 months while the goats and sheep were about eight weeks old. “They will survive very well here because they are coming from the far Western part of South Africa which is as hot and very dry as it is here and they were brought up from the same type of condition here,” Herman de Bruin said.