The Akwa Ibom State Government has said that it had imported 2,000 cattle from Brazil to start a ranch in the oil-rich state.
The government said this is part of efforts to produce sufficient meats with a view to increasing protein intake for people and ensuring food sustainability in thestate.
The state Commissioner for Information, Charles Udoh, disclosed this while interacting with newsmen in Uyo.
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He said: “The ranch was established in conjunction with foreign investors. The cattle have been quarantined. You know in the heat of the election, nobody wanted to venture into that ranch. And in the heat of that too, the Commissioner for Agriculture lost his seat.
“The reason we quarantined the cattle was that, first we needed to inoculate them. What I mean by quarantined is that we needed to get them acclimatised to the weather and prepare them for the long trip across the Atlantic Ocean.
“While we quarantined and inoculated them, we tried to get some pregnant because it is a long journey and some could die on the way. These are rare breed of cattle that can produce milk and meat at the same time. We are expecting 2,000.”