Olam Agri enters dairy nutrition market in Nigeria

NIGERIA – Singapore-based agribusiness Olam Agri has entered Nigeria’s ruminant nutrition market with the launch of its Tru Value cattle feed range designed to fatten cattle, finish animals, and boost milk production.

The Tru Value range includes three products: Tru Value Beef Pellet, Tru Value Beef Plus Pellet, and Tru Value Dairy Pellet, which is designed to raise milk yield and overall herd productivity.

Olam’s entry into the ruminant feed segment comes as Nigeria seeks to raise livestock productivity and develop more commercial livestock production.

That push is expected to increase demand for cattle fattening and dairy feed. Since 2025, Abuja has said it intends to double national milk production to nearly 1.4 million tons by 2030. That ambition, however, faces a significant shortage of livestock feed.

Nigeria’s Livestock Master Plan 2026–2040, developed by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development with ILRI and adopted in April 2026, provides detailed projections for the country’s feed resources.

It estimates that Nigeria has about 194.7 million tons of dry matter available each year, compared with estimated requirements of 212.4 million tons.

That leaves a shortfall equal to 8.33% of national requirements. Volume is only part of the problem. The Master Plan also notes that a significant share of available biomass has low metabolizable energy content, reducing its nutritional value for animals.

The shortage is more severe in the dry savanna agroecological zone, which accounts for 53% of the country’s ruminant herd across 13 states, including Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Katsina.

 The zone has a dry matter deficit of 44.7 million tons, equivalent to 37% of its requirements, as feed availability varies sharply by season and dry-season forage tends to have low energy content.

The Master Plan projects the cattle population will reach 75 million by 2040, from about 61 million in the reference year, an increase of about 22%.

Sheep and goat populations are also projected to rise by nearly 59% and 42%, respectively, reaching 110 million sheep and 199 million goats by 2040.

Sharad Gupta, President & Global Head, Integrated Feed & Protein at Olam Agri, stated, “Our entry into ruminant nutrition marks an important milestone in the evolution of Olam Agri’s feed business.

“We have built strong capabilities serving poultry and aquaculture farmers, and we are now extending that expertise to support the development of more productive and sustainable cattle farming systems.”

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