GOV NAMADI UNDERTAKES HIGH-LEVEL TECHNICAL ENGAGEMENT IN ARGENTINA TO BOOST JIGAWA’S ALFALFA AND LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT
As part of his administration’s resolve to position Jigawa State as Nigeria’s hub for forage production and agribusiness, Governor Malam Umar Namadi is currently leading a high-level technical learning mission to the Republic of Argentina.
The mission, conducted in partnership with 𝐄𝐥-𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 and international partners including the 𝐀𝐥𝐤𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 of Saudi Arabia, centers on the industrialization of the alfalfa value chain—a critical component of Governor Namadi’s agricultural transformation agenda.
The delegation is understudying the world-class agricultural ecosystem in the 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨́𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐛𝐚, a region whose semi-arid conditions are similar to those of Northern Nigeria. The mission aims to replicate Argentina’s “Cluster” model, which integrates smallholder farmers into a high-tech industrial hub for domestic feed security and international export to Middle Eastern markets.
The governor and his team have engaged in intensive field and industrial assessments designed to provide a blueprint for Jigawa’s agricultural evolution:
• The team visited 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 𝐒.𝐀., a prominent Córdoba-based leader in animal nutrition, to explore advanced health and feeding protocols essential for upgrading Jigawa’s livestock sector.
• Visits to the 𝐍𝐚𝐟𝐨𝐬𝐚 and 𝐏𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 plants provided hands-on exposure to mega-baling, high-density compaction, and pelleting technologies.
• The delegation toured expansive 𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐚, 𝐬𝐨𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐬, observing high-productivity agronomic management and efficient water-use irrigation technologies.
“This mission is not merely a study tour; it is a foundational step toward creating jobs and boosting the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of our state,” Governor Namadi stated.
“By adopting these Argentine industrial blueprints, we are ensuring that Jigawa State transitions from traditional farming to a commercial, export-oriented powerhouse.”
The Governor is accompanied by a technical team including the 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐃𝐫. 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐋𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫mation Agency (JATA), Dr. Saifullahi Umar.
The mission is expected to conclude with formalized joint ventures and technical partnerships that will see immediate implementation at El-Meena Farms and across Jigawa’s agricultural clusters.