Poultry farmers urge FG to invest more in livestock farming

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

Poultry farmers have urged the federal government to invest adequately in livestock farming so as to curb the rising rate of unemployment in the country as well boost the economic base of the citizens.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jwantu Poultry Enterprise, gave the advise yesterday while presenting gifts to winner of 2019 Christmas/New year Bonanza’s buy and win promo at his farm at Koropa, Paikoro Local government of Niger state.
Jwantu frowned at the nonchalant attitude of government on poultry farming in the country, saying, “imagine for the teeming unemployed youths in Niger state only 50 of them were trained on poultry farming through National Directorate of Employment (NDE)”
Out of these 50 trainees, only 200 birds were given to them to handle as practical for eight weeks of maturity to ascertain their level of understanding of how to handle birds.
This according to him can be improved to a reasonable level since NDE is a federal government agency, States can also key in to the system for more reasonable poultry farmers among the unemployed youths roaming the streets.
He challenged the youths to think outside the box on their own by venturing into any entrepreneurial opportunities within their domain instead of waiting for government comes to their aid.
Speaking on the high price of poultry feeds this year the Chief Executive Officer said if something is not done as a matter of urgency, a lot of people will quit the poultry business except for those who are not taken proper record of their expenses from day old to maturity.
He called on the federal government and poultry farmers association of Nigeria to engaged on collaborative effort to ensure qualitative feed is supply for healthy production in the country.
Reacting to the high price of day old chicks this year, Jwantu said “ we have never seen what happened this year at all, price of day old went as high as five hundred naira, #500 per chick.
According to him,the good news is that few farmers especially those that are old in the business took the advantage of the boarder closure to sell more than ever before.