Abia poultry farmers end training, get starter packs
By Gordi Udeajah
Nigeria is said to have subsisted its leading position as Africa’s largest producer of eggs and second largest producer of chickens.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Earnest Umakhihe, announced this, yesterday, during a two-day training and empowerment of select poultry farmers, in Abia State, organised by his ministry and the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension in collaboration with the Abia Agricultural Development Programme ( ADP ).
Although Umakhihe did not state the production numbers, the figures obtained online (Google) revealed that Nigeria’s poultry production amounts to 3.8 million eggs per year with bird population of 180 million. The data also showed that about 85 million Nigerians are involved in poultry production.
The permanent secretary, who was represented by his Ministry’s Director in Abia, Mr. Aloysius Mba, urged the trainees to reciprocate government’s gestures by making best uses of the knowledge they acquired, as well as inputs that were given to them.
The host state government, through the state ADP Manager, Chief Israel Amanze, expressed happiness and was encouraged by Federal Government’s support to farmers in the state through trainings, workshops, empowerments, among others.
Amanze, who told the training and empowerment beneficiaries to consider themselves lucky, urged them to make the best use of the training acquired, as well as the starter-packs to prosper their businesses. He indicated that those that would experience challenges would be further assisted.
While the Abia ADP Director of Extension Services, Pastor Kenneth Kanu, urged the trainees to see themselves as key players in poultry production in the state, the trainees promised to utilise the opportunity profitably.
The highpoint of the training, held at the ADP office, Umuahia, the state capital, was the presentation of 100 day-old chicks, Starter-Feeds, medications, water and feeding troughs to each of the trainees/participant.
