Business
Stakeholders Foresee Livestock Dev Via Tech
Some stakeholders at the Nigeria Poultry and Livestock Expo 2017 (NIPOLI) have in Lagos said they were optimistic that the livestock industry would be developed if innovative methodologies were employed.
Director, Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Gideon Mshebwala, said yesterday that majority of farmers operated in traditional structures.
Mshebwala, who was represented by an Assistant Director in the ministry, Dr Dupe Ambolu, said that farming systems were mostly characterised by obsolete barn equipment.
“Poultry and livestock represent an important source of high quality animal protein; it is one of the highest investments in agriculture with a net worth of N250 billion.
“Poultry contributes about 10 per cent, while livestock contributes about five per cent of Nigeria’s agricultural Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and Nigeria’s chicken population of about 150.7 million.
“Of this, 25 per cent, 15 per cent and 60 per cent are farmed commercially, semi-commercially and in backyards respectively. However, the demand for protein and by-products outstrips the supply.
“Majority of farmers operate in traditional and small scale structures characterised by obsolete barn equipment, production techniques and inadequate bio-security,’’ Mshebwala said.
According to him, producers of livestock products suffer from a weak feed industry and poor market access as a result of inadequate infrastructure.
He said: “Indeed, for Nigeria to achieve its vision of breaking into the top 20 developed economies by 2020, there is the implicit need for a viable Nigerian Agriculture, especially poultry and livestock sub-sector.
“This is to make a paradigm shift from traditional production system to an intensively managed and technology-driven commercial livestock production’’.
adopt the new technologies exhibited here so that productivity and quality can increase.
“To show that cattle breeders are serious about modern technology, we are preaching zero grazing, which is possible.
“Grazing at any place usually reduces the quality of the meat we eat, that is why we hope to improve in technology,’’ he said.