By Godwin Tyonongu
Maliya Cattle Market and Farms, Tudun Wada, in Karu local government area of the neighbouring Nasarawa state, has received the full legal backing and support of all the relevant agencies saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the market.
The market has been in existence for the past four years, but got shifted to the new present location with new set up and structures.
One of the glaring advantages going with the market is its location near the expressway and proximity to the Federal Capital territory (FCT), which makes it more strategic in the North-central region as the first of its kind
Director-general of the market, Engr. Saleh Alhassan, told our reporter that dealers, suppliers and consumers troop the cattle market from all nooks and crannies of the country.
He projected that in two years interval, the market would have become a major hub for cattle and animals trading with a value chain through fattening.
Alhassan said all other markets from the far north makes the market their place of transit, adding that, cattle of different sizes, vaccinated rams, animal drugs and agricultural produce such as yam, rice, garri have their sections, making it a multifaceted market.
He said: “The core business is the buying and selling in the market; you have a chain of restaurants springing up to serve the people; traders of various commodities, second hand clothes, and herbal products and so on are sold here; it’s a market in the real sense.
“The market is in full operation. But in a market you can’t talk of maximum production; it keeps expanding as an open market. We have five boreholes and arrangement for power is on to ensure that we get connected to the national grid directly; there are conveniences and set of toilets; there’s an integrated sanitary environment-friendly approach in the market-it’s a normal cattle market where breeding and fattening is the new innovation to add value to the animals.
“We also have abattoir here that serves the butchers. In short, this is a huge investment that has been put in place in terms of finance and structure.”
Observation during the visit by our reporter revealed that those in need of fresh well fed animals within the FCT and environs have the opportunity of coming directly there for their purchase.
