Heifer International, a development organisation, says it has empowered over 7,000 smallholder poultry farmers across Kaduna and Nasarawa states on innovative solutions that would address challenges in poultry sector.
The organisation’s Country Director, Dr Lekan Tobe, said this on Monday, during the launch of the second edition of Poultry Supply Chain De-risking Programme (PoS-DerP) in Abuja.
The theme of the programme was “Navigating the Future: Overcoming Challenges and Seizing Opportunities in Nigeria’s Poultry Sector”.
“Today, we bear witness to the tangible manifestation of this mission in the vibrant lives of over 7,000 smallholder poultry farmers across Kaduna and Nasarawa states through the PoS-DerP programme.
“The programme has equipped these farmers with the essential tools, comprehensive training, and vital resources needed to establish sustainable and profitable businesses.
“Also to catalyse a profound transformation in their livelihoods, and contribute significantly to the economic vitality of their local communities,”he said.
According to him, Nigeria risks losing about N250 billion from the poultry subsector if key challenges facing the sector are not immediately addressed.
“It’s going to be multiples of billions of Naira, multiples of billion. And I am not talking about 10 billion or 20 billion.
“I am talking around 250 billion Naira, which is why we have been advocating for urgent intervention for MSMEs and farmers in that subsector,” he said.
Also, Hajiya Maimuna Mustapha-Yahuza, Assistant Director, policy and Coordination Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said that the ministry was partnering with Heifer Nigeria to address funding gaps.
Mustapha-Yahuza said that they were also promoting climate resilience for poultry farmers as it is critical to Gross Domestic Product contributions.
Similarly, Opeoluwa Fayomi, Co-founder of Pullus Africa, said that the programme had given opportunity to small holder farmers to produce and access the free market with the right tools.
“At the moment, we have about 8,500 farmers in Kaduna and Nasarawa, and we are on the verge of moving into Abuja to also work with the farmers that we have identified.
“Our goal is to reach 20,000 farmers by June next year,” he said.
Gbenga Ariyo, Technical Lead, Kore International, said that feed production, access to finance, access to veterinary services were some of the challenges affecting the poultry sector.
Ariyo, therefore, stressed the need for more commitment, innovative intervention and technology as critical to improving food productivity and market access for poultry farmers.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that beneficiaries of the PoS-DerP, expressed appreciation to the organisation for its supports, which has improved access to markets, funds and economic activities in their localities.
Other highlights include a panel discussion on leveraging collaborative solution in poultry farming to build a food secure future. (NAN)