November 3, 2010

 

Nigerian state boosts local poultry with day-old chicks

A private Nigerian company distributed 16,575 day old chick to poultry farmers in the Plateau state to strengthen their capacity against the backdrop of current challenges.

 

The organisation is under the management of Amo Byng Nigeria limited, Farm Sieberer Hatchery limited Diversay Solution limited. It organised a workshop for poultry farmers in the area to orient them on how to manage their farms in order to maximise profit.

 

A study conducted recently posited that "the outbreak of avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu, in 2005/2006, led to the death of over 1.5 million birds across the country. A large number of poor farmers lost their means of livelihood when their flocks were destroyed by government without compensation."

 

Although there are efforts at intervention by both federal and state governments in the poultry industry, but most of the ideas did not see the light of day, leaving the poor farmers with so much to contend with amidst lack of fund and emergence of new poultry related diseases.

 

A lot of workshops on diseases control and farm management have been organised by non-governmental organisations for the farmers to face the challenges of poultry management.

 

General Manager, Amo Byng Nigeria Limited, Mr Toromade Francis, said the essence of the project was to strengthen the farmers in their enterprises by injecting more chicks into their farms.

 

Chairman, Nigeria Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria, Plateau State chapter, Mr Julius Gusan, described the act as an effort that will enhance the capacity of poultry farmers in the state.

 

Although, the cockerels were delivered to strategic stations within the state capital for onward distribution to the farmers, some of the farmers who got the news trooped to Rantya area in Jos South to collect their share.

 

Mr Samuel David was among the beneficiary who despite the heavy down pour was able to make it to the distribution point. He said, "I have a small backyard poultry farm which I manage to augment my income; with this day old chicks I can expand my farm."

 

Empowering the populace in a particular place will surely have a multiplier effect, starting from the individual to the state and the country in general as posited by a Senior lecturer from the department of Economics at the University of Jos, Mr Thaddeus Longduut.

 

He said, "The distribution of the chicks in the first place is going to increase the raw materials of the farmers in this regard, which will also increase their production of eggs if they are layers for instance, and this will add up to requiring for more hands to manage the farm which will inevitably create job opportunities for the unemployed."

 

But on the other hand, "eggs sellers will now have more eggs to sell to meet demand and surely the per capita income of the state will increase, people will also pay their taxes which is to the advantage of the state, the impact may not be felt immediately but this is the kind of multiplier effect that will occur when you empower people."