Business
Association Urges Poultry Farmers To Form Cooperative
Chief Samson Akinoso, the National Secretary, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), has advised poultry farmers to form cooperative groups to raise funds for financing production instead of waiting for external loans.
Akinoso gave the advice on Wednesday at the fourth PAN-Lagos International Poultry Show and Exhibition held in Lagos.
The show, which had “Poultry Production in a Mega City: Lagos Environmental Challenges — The Way Out” as its theme, was attended by poultry farmers and stakeholders in the environment sector.
According to Akinoso, “with a contribution of at least N5,000 by each farmer monthly, they will have something substantial to assist their members on a monthly basis”.
“All members will benefit from such contributions rather than waiting for the time when the N200 billion agricultural loan promised by the Federal Government will be available.”
The PAN national secretary said no poultry farmer could assess the loan because of the “stringent” conditions put in place by the Federal Government.
“They include that the farmers must have between N100 million and N250 million as collateral, and that the interest on such loans will not be less than 14 per cent on any amount that is received by the farmers,” he said.
Akinoso also decried the arrangement that required farmers in the South-West to travel as far as Jos in Plateau to access maize to be used as feed.
“If the Federal Government wants to distribute maize to poultry farmers in Lagos State, they should collect it in Ibadan or Akure silos and not in Jos or Maiduguri considering the risks involved in such a trip,” he said.
Mr Bashir Egberongbe, the Director of Agriculture Services, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, who represented the commissioner, implored the farmers to follow due process in locating their poultry farms to avoid official harassment.
“If farmers set up their farms in areas earmarked for residential, commercial or industrial purposes, the state government will not issue certificates of occupancy to such applicants,” he said.
Egberongbe said the government had taken steps to tackle some of the challenges facing the farmers such as providing 10 additional hatcheries to supplement the existing two under its Accelerated Poultry Production Programme.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.