The Jigawa State government has launched a large-scale production of alfalfa grass on 100,000 hectares of farmland, to improve access to quality livestock feed and position the state in the global livestock market.

The Commissioner for Livestock Development, Prof Salem Abduraman who disclosed this to journalists, said the initiative followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in December 2025, between the state government and Elmina farms for the cultivation of alfalfa grass for both local consumption and export.

He said the project would operate under a special purpose vehicle structure, with the state government holding 35 per cent equity, private investors 45 per cent and host communities 15 per cent, while other stakeholders would hold the balance.

To ensure community inclusion, the commissioner said an additional 200 hectares would be set aside in the pilot phase to benefit surrounding communities, alongside corporate social responsibility initiatives targeting women and youth.

He described feed as a critical component of animal production after improved genetics, noting that the state had prioritised pasture development to address feed shortages and enhance livestock productivity.

According to him, preliminary investigations at Matura Agro farms supported by PropCom+ indicated that alfalfa grass grown in the state contains up to 24 per cent protein, which he described as competitive by global standards.

The commissioner said the state’s soil type and water make alfalfa grass production suitable for both rain-fed and irrigation farming. He identified Gumel, Gagarawa and Sule Tankarkar as areas suitable for rain-fed cultivation, while Hadejia, Malam Madori and parts of the southern axis would support irrigation farming.

He disclosed that the government plans to commence with a 1,000-hectare pilot phase using 20 pivot irrigation systems covering 50 hectares each, with soil evaluation currently ongoing.

Prof Abduraman disclosed that some teams of soil scientists from the Centre for Dryland Agriculture are conducting soil and water assessments, while irrigation specialists from the centre are also expected to carry out further technical evaluations.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), also deployed technology-driven systems, including digital monitoring and security infrastructure for the project.

The commissioner said land clearing would commence after soil tests, with full production expected to begin by November.

He added that the initiative would generate significant employment across the state and reduce farmer-herder conflicts by making high-quality forage readily available.

According to him, improved access to nutrient-rich feed would enhance milk yield and livestock productivity, discourage cattle from grazing on cultivated crops and reduce tensions between farmers and pastoralists.

He disclosed plans to train selected youths in Argentina under a partnership arrangement with the government of Córdoba to build technical capacity in livestock and forage production.

The state, he said, is also engaging experts to establish specialised processing centres for dairy and poultry value addition.

He maintained that the project would create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, improve household incomes and strengthen Jigawa’s livestock value chain.

The commissioner expressed optimism that the large-scale alfalfa production would transform livestock farming in the state and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global forage market.