The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has commenced activities on the 10 hectares of farm estate in Dasamu Village, Jakusko Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Prince Paul Ikonne, Executive Secretary, NALDA, and his team carried out an inspection of the facility where 30,000 day-old birds are already in place as the date for commissioning of the farm estate is set for September this year.
Land clearing, crop cultivation and demarcation of selected areas for goat rearing are currently ongoing at the facility, as the location has attracted farmers from within and outside the state.
Ikonne while speaking to journalists after inspecting the various sections of the farm estate, explained that the poultry segment, which was purely for the reproduction of eggs in commercial quantities, would serve not just the state but many parts of the northern region.
His words: “This farm is purely poultry for egg production. The type of eggs we will be producing here will be reproductive eggs. Not the types that you just consume.
“These ones will go into the incubator for the reproduction of other birds. That is the advantage of this poultry farm. We are bringing eight incubators like what we have in Daura, Katsina State.
“The incubators will be used to hatch our eggs, as well as for us to keep reproducing and to feed other farms from this place, including farms that are within and outside the state.”
He added, “NALDA’s intention is to empower these youths and encourage them to go into agriculture and at the end of the day we will also produce chicken for meat.
“We are looking at engaging 150 youths from within this community and they will be trained on how to not only manage the birds but will also receive training on other farm practices in animal production.”
Ikonne said, “After every period of harvest, say maybe everyone and a half year, the layers will go out and another set of layers will come onboard.
“But the uniqueness of this farm is the production of reproductive eggs. We have 30,000 birds already in store.”
Speaking on other aspects of the farm estate, the NALDA helmsman explained that the facility would have segments for rearing goats, as well as locations for cultivating crops.
“We are bringing in the goat pen, which makes it more inclusive because we are also using it here for rearing a particular species of goat,” Ikonne said.
Furthermore, he said “this is in order to reproduce that species in this location and the youths will be engaged in doing that. So this is a farm estate because at the end of the day you will have a finished products department, as well as egg and goat production sections.”
Ikonne noted that NALDA had rice farms in two other locations in the state, adding that the tractors deployed for the farms were also being used to support farmers across the Local Government Area.
The Yobe State Farm Supper Manager for NALDA, Haruna Gambo, said the facility had started receiving volunteers, while youths and other residents of the community had pledged to ensure the sustainability of the estate.
“We have started engaging youths in the community. We now have volunteers who assist in managing the birds. About 30,000 birds have been moved to the site. The community has also assured us of the sustainability of this project,” Gambo stated.
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