KEHINDE AKINPELU, ILORIN
Kwara state branch of the Poultry Association of Nigeria has called on governor Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq to assist the association by ensuring reduction in price of Poultry feed, noting that high cost of production of raising Chicken has discouraged lot of poultry farmers from being in the business.
Speaking at the event to mark World egg day and the 20th anniversary of the global event, the state chairman of the association, Mr Ojo Akinwumi Richard, said poultry famers were presently running at loss.
He also appealed to the federal government to allow importation of poultry feeds, noting that Nigeria farmers could not produce enough grains to meet poultry feed production.
This year event is tagged; “Eat your Egg today and everyday,”
Delivering a lecture on the nutrition benefit of Egg to human being, the guest lecturer, Dr Eunice Foluke Shola-Ojo, advised people from age 0 to 40 years to take three eggs per day while older people should take at least one egg per day because of the nutrition value.
Shola-Ojo said “Egg is highly nutritious with about 13 Vitamins, except Vitamin C. It has Omega 3 Fatty Acids and all the essential Amino Acid. Egg is good for growing Children and they can afford 3 eggs per day, while an egg per day is good for an adult.”
Also speaking at the event, the Director, livestock, Kwara state Ministry of Agriculture, Mohammed umar Hammed, assured poultry farmers of government’s support in making grains available at cheaper rate by next year
While speaking on the level at which people now deviate from poultry farming following high cost of feed, the director appealed to members of the association to go back to poultry business, promising that government would continue to support them.