Economic recession: College trains 400 in intensive poultry production

Despite the challenges facing the livestock and poultry industries as a result of high cost of feeds and others, the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Ibadan, has said poultry production has always been profitably sustainable and will always do if adequate training is given to farmers, capable of lifting the economy out of the woods.

This was disclosed by the Director of Vocational Training of the college, Mr Femi Banjoko, during the closing ceremony of a two-week intensive training for 400 participants selected from the six geo-political zones of the country.

The college, fully supported by the Federal Government, trained the participants in poultry brooding, rearing, egg and broiler meat production, feed formulation and production, input supplies and marketing of poultry products.

Banjoko said restriction on importation of poultry products and other agricultural products had created a great opportunity for enterprising Nigerian youths and graduates to use the industry as a means of tackling unemployment, poverty and importation-induced inflation.

He urged the participants to utilize the training, inputs and financial assistance provided by the government to turn their situations and the economy of the country around.

Provost of the college, Dr (Mrs) Olufunmilayo Adejinmi, said the college was determine to contribute its quota towards lifting Nigeria out of the economic mess as a result of overdependence on oil, urging the trainees to fully explore the opportunities created by the current economic recession for good.

“Kindly take all that you have acquired from here seriously and practice them so that you can contribute your quotas to putting food on the table of Nigerians at very reasonable price.

“For some of us that will go into processing and marketing, you have a lot of products you can bring out of poultry when you are creative. I say to you, keep producing, processing and marketing agricultural products…,” she said.

Representative of the Federal Government on the occasion and Regional Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, South West, Mrs C. A. Awe, said inward looking for a way forward for Nigeria pointed out that agriculture was a major area where the country has a comparative advantage,

She urged academics, agric scientists and engineers to intensify efforts for more effective agricultural technologies to making farming simpler and more profitable.

Each of the participants were kitted with 100 broiler day-old chicks, feeds and medication and N5000 transport fare.