The Dairy Industry In Nigeria: Current Status And Future Prospects:- John Anakwuezie Ibeawuchi

ABSTRACT

The human population ofAfrica is estimated to be growing at a rate of3.1% per year (Ndituru, 1993). This growth in population has stimulated a policy aimed at self-sufficiency in food by many governments. Malnutrition is still a plague in many parts ofthe African continent despite efforts being made to increase agricultural production. Deficiencies ofprotein and micronutrients continue to be persistent. People of sub-Saharan Africa consume foods that consist of starch and oil. Ifsufficiently available, milk and milk products could efficiently correct these deficiencies and could be part of African's diet as in western world. In addition to improvingthe nutrition and health ofail members ofa household, dairying increase fanner's incomes (ILRI, 1998). However, per capita production of whole fresh milk in Africa in 1999 was only 34kg/person as against 294kg/person in Europe (FAO 2000) with vety large variations of consumption among regions ofthe same country. Such a deficit makes milk products very expensive and unavailable to most people especially vulnerable groups which are mostly children and people oflow income.